


Hiraeth II Nepenthe II Lorn

by spitonmygraveplease



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: During The Hobbit, F/M, Movie 1: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Movie 2: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Retelling of The Hobbit, Spoilers for The Hobbit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25066741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spitonmygraveplease/pseuds/spitonmygraveplease
Summary: Hiraeth; a Welsh word for homesickness and nostalgia, an earnest longing or desire, or a sense of regret.Nepenthe; is something that can make you forget grief or suffering. In Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ it is a drug that banishes trouble from a person’s mind.Lorn; a state of being or feeling lonely and abandoned.-----------------------This set of three works follows the story of Anthea, my original character who is employed by Gandalf the Grey as the Fifteenth member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield. This is very much following the events of The Hobbit (The Movies, as they were easier to follow for my writing.) though I have changed scenes around, added lots of dialogue and put my own twists on the work.Disclaimer: While this story follows the events in The Hobbit and takes place in the fictional world of Middle Earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien, I do not own any of the characters aside from Anthea, who is my own.
Relationships: Legolas Greenleaf/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

A month earlier. || 15th of March, T.A. 2941. 

The guttural yells and cheers did nothing to make the small tavern more enticing to me, it was raining nonetheless and even that seemed like the fairer option when I weighed them in my head. My hair stuck to the sides of my face and I could feel it dripping water down my neck and under my robes, chilling, perhaps I may have noticed it more if I wasn’t in thought as much as I had been. 

Bree. A town of drunken men and the occasional hobbit, nothing special, I had generally tried to avoid it with it’s current state, though there had been the time in which my line of work had brought me here.I was no stranger to lurking in the shadows and treading in mud and horse shit. I looked up to the soaked, poorly painted, wooden sign. The Prancing Pony as the locals may have called it, but to a wanderer, a tavern was just a tavern and a drink was just a drink, it didn’t matter the name of the place in which that drink came from. I surely didn’t care, though I had been called here, so here I would be. 

“Well are you going to come inside, or just stand out in the rain?” A slurred voice came and I looked foreword, my eyes landing on a man - who was barely able to hold himself up, I suspect one too many drinks - standing by the open door, which he was holding for me, I hadn’t even noticed his presence, let alone his well-mannered motion. 

“Yes, thank you.” I nodded my head, offering him a breath of a smile before moving past him into the rowdy crowd that had been practically about to combust through the doorway regardless of it being opened. My shoulder barging definitely played the biggest part in helping me move through the bodies, a majority of those bodies being men, though I felt myself brush past the occasional small bodied hobbit. My eyes darted around for an empty table and I cursed under my breath at the lack of luck I had in that venture. 

Until my eyes landed upon tattered grey robes. I pushed foreword to the table in which he sat and without a second glance to the other inhabitants of the table, I grinned and slid my hand onto the shoulder of the old man. “Gandalf! My friend.” 

I wasn’t sure whether it was the motion of my hand or my speaking that startled him, but I felt him jump. The old man’s blithe eyes met mine and he stood, his wrapped old hands taking mine as a gentle smile played on his lips. He was my senior by too many years to count, and he had not been a friend of mine for much more than a quarter of his life span and even less of mine, he was taller than me though far more hunched. “Anthea.” 

The subtle clearing of a throat broke the silence after Gandalf had greeted me, and I became aware of the other presence at the table, though who that presence was, I had yet to discover. I looked up, the man was standing, though he was not a man, he had black hair filled with small braids and the tiny beads of iron. And the stature of a hobbit, though taller and far more brooding. “A dwarf… Gandalf?” I turned from the dwarf to the old man beside me in bewilderment, a frown etched onto my face. 

“This isn’t just a mere dwarf.” Gandalf flicked his hand from my arm to gesture to him, an almost ominous look upon his face now. “This is Thorin Oakensheild, Son of Thrain.” 

My heart sunk in almost disbelief, until Thorin bowed his head at me, I swallowed and nodded, though the utter confusion hadn’t left my mind. Gandalf urged us all to sit, and I found myself sitting on the chair between the two, pulling the cloak from my backside and hanging it on the back of the chair. “Well it’s hard to believe this is a chance meeting Gandalf, when you have brought a mercenary to meet here with us.” Thorin’s almost venomous voice came from a mouth full of food beside me, I had gotten the impression he hadn’t eaten in a while. 

“I never said this was a chance meeting.” Gandalf leaned in closer and I narrowed my eyes, the urge to speak, to ask what exactly Gandalf had called me here for, was almost impossible to ignore. “The lonely mountain troubles me…” Gandalf’s features turned dark and he seemed almost lost in thought as he spoke, Thorin must have noticed it too, as he glanced to me in search of answers, but Gandalf continued speaking. “ That dragon has sat there long enough, sooner or later darker minds will turn towards Erebor. I ran into some unsavoury characters whilst travelling along the Greenway. They mistook me for a vagabond.”

“Dragon? Gandalf-” I narrowed my eyes at the old man, about to protest in the suggestion he was no doubt about to make, but Thorin interrupted me, his voice could have been humorous, though I doubted he was a dwarf with much of a sense of humour. 

“I imagine they regretted that.”

“One of them carried a message.” Gandalf’s shaky hands reached into his grey robes, retrieving an old scrap of parchment, he slid it onto the table between Thorin and I and we both went to pick it up, my hand brushing with Thorin’s, earning another glare to add to that he had already given me. Much to my surprise however, Thorin unrolled the parchment and angled it to let me read, but the writing was of a tongue I could not speak, let alone read. “It is Black Speech. A promise of payment.” 

“Payment for what Gandalf?” I spoke up, seemingly asking Thorin’s question for him.

“Thorin’s head, Anthea. Someone wants him dead. Thorin, you can wait no longer. You are the heir to the throne of Durin. Unite the armies of the dwarves, together you have the might and power to retake Erebor. Summon a meeting of the seven dwarf families, demand they stand by their oath.” This voice coming from Gandalf was familiar, lost in sense and thought.

“The seven armies swore that oath to the one who wields the King’s jewel, the Arkenstone. It is the only thing that will unite them, and in case you have forgotten, that jewel was stolen by Smaug.” Thorin’s voice came dismissively and he pushed his plate foreword, standing up, I had heard the story before, dragon fire and ruin and a city lost in smoke, I was not old enough to have known those from Dale, but I knew the story. It just hadn’t occurred to me yet in what Gandalf was asking of Thorin and I. 

“What if I were to help you reclaim it?” 

It was then that I turned to Gandalf, my eyes widening in realisation of what he was asking, though before I could get out any words of question, Thorin spoke, slowly lowering his eyes at the wizard. “ How? The Arkenstone lies half a world away, buried beneath the feet of a fire breathing dragon.”

“Yes, it does. Which is why we’re going to need a burglar and our mercenary here.” Gandalf’s eyes fell on me and I shook my head, glancing to Thorin before I spoke.

“Gandalf, this is a quest to retake a place I’ve never been-”

“Ridiculous,I will not take her. Mercenary’s cannot be trusted!” Thorin objected and I scoffed, standing up to look down upon the dwarf. 

“Says the dwarf, at least my head is not clouded with stone and stupidity!” I spat, offended at his comment, though I was sure that was the stereotype for my line of work.

“Enough!” Gandalf’s booming voice sounded, breaking through the loud chatter of the tavern, a few stopped to look to the commotion, though Gandalf had done what he intended, Thorin and I stood silent. “The stubbornness of dwarves-” He sighed, pushing his chair closer to the table. “Thorin, you will not find a better archer, I can promise you that.”

“Oh I’m sure I can, my sister’s sons-” Thorin began but Gandalf slammed his hand down on the table, I slowly sunk back down into my seat, leaving Thorin the only one to stand. 

“By my word, Thorin, I can promise you, you will not find a better archer. Nor horse rider.” Gandalf added and I felt a surge of pride in my chest at his words, my eyes travelled to Thorin, who watched me with dark eyes. “We will need every man.. and woman, we can get, and you will need Anthea.”

There was a moment of silence, and in that silence, I spoke, looking to the old man. “Will there be payment?” Thorin scoffed at my words and I put a hand up in his direction, motioning for him to shut his mouth. “Not all of us were born to riches, Thorin.” 

“I don’t have my riches, in case it escaped your notice.” He spat and I glared in his direction. 

“Yes, but you had them.” I pursed my lips and let out a long breath, if I had intended to travel with this dwarf, it was sure going to be a long trip. “So, Gandalf?”

“Yes, you will get a 15th share of the treasure.” The old man answered my question before looking to Thorin, his eyes returned to me and he raised his eyebrows. “So Anthea, will you join the company of Thorin Oakensheild?”

“I don’t see a company at all-”

“I mean… will you join the beginning of the company of Thorin Oakensheild?”

My eyes darted to Thorin, who watched me curiously, awaiting my answer, I blocked out the noise from the tavern around me and found myself slowly nodding. “Yes.”

_______________________________

Present Day || 26th of April, T.A. 2941.

The grass crunched beneath my boots, grass greener than I had seen in an exceptionally long time. The grassy hills of The Shire, a place I had never been in my travels. It was dark, and I was surrounded by trees, listening to the world around me as I walked, stepping onto a dirt pathway. I frowned, pulling my pack harshly up my shoulder as I looked foreword, lights in the distance catching my eye.

I had met quite a few hobbits in my time, I was young and had had my fair share of dwarves however, thanks to a dwarf prince, though it seemed I would all but be living with them now. I thanked the stars it was on the road though and not stuck with them in one place. In my thoughts, I had tread past the signs of The Shire, when I looked up I was met with rolling hills of fences, paddocks, houses and gardens. 

A simple life.

I almost smiled at that, but it faltered when I saw the amount of round hobbit doors that greeted me. Gandalf had told me that the door would have a symbol on it, only he hadn’t stated exactly how many doors I would have to inspect. Nor had he told Thorin and I more than the last name of the burglar that we were seeking for the company, though as I walked on, asking hobbit after hobbit of the name ‘Baggins’, I was met with bewildered expressions and questions regarding which Baggins I was looking for. 

“Baggins. How many Baggins are there?” I spat, a rosy cheeked hobbit stood in front of me, I towered over him and that seemingly set his nerves going,he simply pointed up to one of the hills and squeaked out a response.

“B-Bilbo Baggins lives on the hill!” He squirmed at his own words before shuffling his fat feet away from me and through the doorway of his hobbit hole. I groaned, my boots practically dragging on the dirt path by now as I made my way up the hill to the lit up hobbit hole. As I approached, I could hear laughter arising from the home and a voice that stuck out to me. “Yes you are quite right Bifur, we seem to be one dwarf and a mercenary short-”

Gandalf. I swallowed, having stepped up to the door, my fist raised as I knocked, the glowing mark on the door sticking out to me. It would have seemed I had found the right house. If you could call a hobbit hole a house. Inside was silent and I heard scurrying, the door thrusted open and I was met with another hobbit. “If you’re not the right Baggins I’ll go mad.” I stated and he widened his eyes, his curly hair a mess on his head.

“Anthea!” Gandalf’s kind voice came from inside and I looked past the hobbit to greet the wizard. 

“I’m guessing you have the right Baggins then..” The hobbit stepped aside and I ducked my head, moving past him into the small hobbit hole. A few of the dwarves had stopped what they had been doing to look at the new arrival and I narrowed my eyes.

“Gandalf.” I greeted, pulling my cloak off and hanging it up with numerous others much smaller than mine. “Why am I at The Shire?”

“Well- Meet Bilbo Baggins.” He cleared his throat and gestured to the hobbit cowering beside me, I looked down at his frame and stuck my hand out.

“Bilbo Baggins? Forgive me, I figured you’d look far different than you do.” I paused and his smaller hand shook mine awkwardly, I smiled a little, my lips stretching more than they had in a while, I was never usually in the company of those who appreciated a lighthearted smile. “Taller, actually, though after meeting most of the other hobbits around here… I’d say you’re fairly tall.”

“Thank you.” He furrowed his eyebrows and I let go of his hand, my eyes moving to Gandalf.

“You have some explaining to do, wizard.” I shook my head before looking around. “But I’ll settle for a meal at this point.” Bilbo moved past me in a rush, chasing after the dwarves that had ran down the hall carrying a barrel. I followed behind them, feeling Gandalf trail behind us, I had to do an obscene amount of ducking to so much as make it to the dining room, and when I did, I was met with a table full of dwarves. 

All of them staring at me.

“Who is that?” 

“No idea.”

“Not an elf.”

“No her ears are normal.”

“Who…wants an ale?” A voice interrupted the whispering (it was barely even whispering of course, I could hear every word.) and a blonde dwarf looked around the room, I put my hand out and he paused. 

“I’d like a tankard, thank you.” I feigned a smile and he hesitantly shoved one into my hand, the ale spilling onto my hand in the process, though I hadn’t minded. 

“I’m Fili.” He nodded in my direction as he passed out tankards to the others, though managed to keep his eyes on me. “This is my brother Kili.” He gestured with one of the drinks to a brunette dwarf by him, his dark eyes flicked to me before travelling over my body, almost studying me, I narrowed mine.

“Anthea.” I spoke my name before pausing, my eyes directly onto Kili. “And I’ll cut you if you don’t keep your eyes to yourself, dwarf.”

“I like her.” A voice beside me sounded and I looked from Kili down to a dwarf with a funny hat. I raised my brow and he grinned. “Bofur, at yer’ service! Now on the count of three everyone!” He greeted cheerfully and I found myself smiling a little. Until he began counting down. On the third, he raised his tankard and there was a moment of silence as everyone downed their ale, I raised my eyebrows and looked around, my lips curling in disgust at the amount of ale drenching the dwarves rather than going down their throats. 

My disgust only increased at the belching let out afterword. I stepped out of the dining room, shaking my head as I sipped my drink, the habit of sculling it not in my nature. I had quickly learnt that night that dwarves were perhaps not as well-mannered as it would seem. But they appeared cheery enough.

I moved past dwarf after dwarf on my quest to get something to eat, a dwarf I hadn’t known the name of moved past me with a bowl of apples and I slid my hand into it, grabbing one, he was red haired and hadn’t seemed to notice. I turned to the sounds of laughter in the dining room and just about rammed my forehead into a chandelier. Bilbo’s worrisome voice clear as day when I turned to the kitchen. 

“It is supposed to look like that, it’s crochet!” He fumed and I covered my mouth with my arm to keep from laughing at his outburst, he stomped his foot on the ground and I crouched down a little, nudging his shoulder with mine. 

“I’m not used to dwarves either, Bilbo. But they’re funny at least.” I grinned, finding myself cheering up in the company of the dwarves. Despite my first impression with Thorin, I quite enjoyed this bunch. 

“Anthea, was it? I’ve just about had it with these dwarves and they’ve been here but a half hour!” He stomped his foot again and I had to refrain from laughing again, he looked up at me. 

“I assume they’re alright… once you get used to them.” 

“But I don’t want to get used to them!” He widened his eyes at a passing dwarf holding a plate, he seemed lost. "Look at the state of my kitchen! There’s mud trod in the carpet, they…they’ve pillaged the pantry! I’m not even gonna tell you what they’ve done in the bathroom, they’ve all but destroyed the plumbing! I don’t understand what they’re doing in my house!”

I moved back a little, surprised I hadn’t seen steam coming from his ears, I placed my tankard down on a nearby table, my apple half eaten in my hand, I put my other on Bilbo’s back. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” A voice interrupted as I was about to reassure the poor hobbit that (other than his plumbing) everything would be alright. We turned out heads to the lost dwarf with the plate, he looked younger than the others but just as rowdy, “But what should I do with my plate?”

“Wash it?” I suggested and Bilbo was nodding furiously at my side, clearly agreeing with my suggestion, and looking around at the state of his home, I could see why.

“Here you go, Ori, give it to me.” Fili spoke from behind me and I turned my head to see a plate flying past my eyes, I almost hit it. Fili threw the late to Kili, who catapulted it into the kitchen, I hadn’t heard a smash so I assumed another dwarf caught it. I laughed as more plates, bowls and other forms of dishes came flying past my head, and I only had to duck a few times before I gave up and abandoned Bilbo, stepping into the dining room, pulling a chair out that barely looked large enough to fit myself on.

I plopped down, ducking under another plate and pulling Bilbo out off the way of a cup flying through the air. “Excuse me! That’s my mother’s Westfarthing pottery, it’s over a hundred years old!” Bilbo screeched and I had to keep reaching out to pull him out of the way of flying dishes.

The dining table started rumbling as Bofur and others began banging cutlery against it, I widened my eyes and held my end of the table steady, it seemed about to collapse. “I don’t think this table is steady-” I warned, though my voice was humorous.

“Anthea is right! And…and, ca…can you not do that, you’ll blunt them!” 

“ Ooh, d’you hear that, lads? He says we’ll blunt the knives!” Bofur winked at me playfully, continuing to bang the cutlery against the wood, I moved my knees from under the table, save breaking them if the table collapsed. A grin plastered across my face as the dwarves began to sing.

Kili nudged me as a plate flew right in front of my face and into his hand, I widened my eyes, looking to him before turning just in time to catch a bowl, a snort leaving my nose as I handed it to Kili to throw into the kitchen. He seemed to have forgotten my threat earlier as he put his hand on my shoulder. (It was good that I was sitting or he may not have been able to reach.) “Blunt the knives, bend the forks!” 

“Smash the bottles and burn the corks!” Fili sung along before the others joined in and I sat, tapping my hand on the table and out of the corner of my eye, watching Bilbo just about spontaneously combust. 

“Chip the glasses and crack the plates. That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!” There was a pause, whistling and humming ensued and I laughed out loud, shoving Kili’s arm off of me as he had attempted to catch a knife right beside my face, though humorous, I wasn’t looking to get cut from kitchen cutlery tonight. “Cut the cloth and tread on the fat. Leave the bones on the bedroom-mat, pour the milk on the pantry-floor, splash the wine on every door, dump the crocks in a boiling bowl, pound them up with a thumping pole. When you’ve finished, if any are whole, send them down the hall to roll!”

I looked up amidst the singing, a grin on my face as my eyes landed on Gandalf, humming along cheerfully as they continued singing with the sole purpose of making fun of the poor hobbit. “That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!” 

The singing stopped and I slumped a little into the chair, all of the plates and bowls had been stacked and washed, I had been glad that the company wasn’t as stubborn and condescending as Thorin, perhaps the quest may have been more tolerable-

A knock sounded at the door and everyone seemed to freeze, looking up as Gandalf blew smoke from his pipe, heading over to the door, I stood slowly, ducking under the doorway to see who had joined the company now, though I suspected I knew exactly who it was. The green door way pulled open and Thorin stepped inside, I narrowed my eyes and the dwarves around me bowed their heads in respect. “ Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice.” His dark eyes trailed to me and he narrowed them. “I see you made it, Merc.” He spat and I scoffed.

“It would seem some of us could find it.” I retaliated, stepping foreword, Gandalf put his hand in front of me, under the impression that I may of possibly hit the dwarf, which I had actually thought about doing. 

“I wouldn’t have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door.” He snarled his lip at me a little and I could see the confused expressions on the others faces, it hadn’t occurred to me that I was speaking to their king with disgust in a way that I probably shouldn’t. 

But he wasn’t my king. 

As Bilbo stepped out to protest the mark on the door, I moved past the dwarves to the dining room, I wasn’t short tempered, but there was something about Thorin that really got me angry and it probably would not have gone down well if I had of hit him.

When the company had joined me at the dining table, the fire had begun to already dim, I sat beside Gandalf near the head of the table, Thorin across from me, eating, even the mood had dropped. It was far less cheerful than it had been earlier, I played with the edge of the table, rubbing my fingers on it a little in thought as the dwarf I had begun to know as Balin spoke. 

“What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?”

“Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms.” Thorin nodded slowly and I looked to him, the older dwarf, Dwalin, spoke.

“And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hill say? Is Dain with us?”

“They will not come…” Thorin paused. “They say this quest is ours, and ours alone.”

Sighs ensued through the room and I frowned, swallowing, it seemed that the company was smaller than I had thought it would be, thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, a wizard and myself. Against a dragon. Bilbo’s small voice interrupted the silence and he nervously leaned in. “You’re doing a quest?”

“Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light.” Gandalf smiled a little and as Bilbo retrieved another candle, Gandalf pulled a piece of parchment from his robes, spreading it onto the table as Bilbo placed a candle beside it. A map. “Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak.”

My eyes darted over the paper and I met the tip of Gandalf’s finger, the words coming from my mouth before I gave too much of a thought to them. “The lonely mountain.” I muttered and the Bofur looked up at me from his place at my side, I could hear him gulp. 

“Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say: it is time.”

“Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold. When the birds of the old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end.”

“Uh…what beast?” Bilbo shrunk a little against Gandalf’s side and looked around at the others, Bofur spoke up.

“Well that would be a reference to Smaug the terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals.” At Bilbo’s faint look, I nudged him, he looked to me. “Well he’s got to know-’

“Yes, I know what a dragon is.” Bilbo squeaked.

“I’m not afraid, I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of the dwarfish iron right up his jacksy!” The younger dwarf spoke and I smiled as he was pulled back to his seat, I had heard of the courage of dwarves.

One of the eldest dwarves sighed, Balin, I was steadily learning their names. “The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest.”

Arguments ensued at his comment and I almost had to block my ears at the yelling, before Fili yelled over top. “We may be few in number. But we’re fighters, all of us! To the last dwarf!”

His brother, Kili, stood too, a look of pride and bravery on his face, I had to give it to them, they were but small beings, but they were a lot heartier than many of the men I had encountered. “And you forget we have a wizard and a mercenary in our company, Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time and Anthea would have killed many a man!”

I raised my eyebrows at his boldness, though he was correct, I wasn’t sure if Gandalf had actually killed any dragons. I put my hands up as they started to question Gandalf’s experience with the beasts. “Hey! Whether he’s killed one or not, you’re better to have him on your side!” I spoke loudly and the questions turned to me. 

“And? How many dragons have you killed?!”

“None, but-”

“Enough!” Thorin boomed, interrupting me, I turned my head to him, huffing softly as he spoke. “If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look East to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?”

Cheers carried through the room and I almost drowned out much more of the arguing, until a key was held out in front of my face, though handed to Thorin. “If there is a key, there must be a door!”

Gandalf gestured to the map and spoke lowly. “The runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls.”

“So there’s another way in then?” I asked and Gandalf nodded before sighing.

“Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it, but there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But if we’re careful and clever, I believe that it can be done.”

My eyes darted to Bilbo and I smiled ever so slightly, nodding. “And that’s where the burglar comes in. That’s why you needed one.” I observed and Gandalf pointed at me to agree.

“Hmm. And a good one too. An expert, I’d imagine.” Bilbo spoke curiously and I just about laughed at his obliviousness. 

“Well Bilbo, are you an expert?” I asked and he widened his eyes, looking around. 

“Am I what?”

“He said he’s an expert!” The feigned hearing of one of the dwarves beside me, Oin, cheered, I rolled my eyes.

“Me? No! No, No, No! I…I’m not a burglar. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.’

“ And I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He’s hardly burglar material.” Dwalin spoke and then Balin joined him. 

“Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.”

The dwarves started their arguing again and I went to block my ears, until Gandalf boomed over them. “Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is! Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose, and while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of a dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fifteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There’s a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he’s got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this.”

I followed Gandalf’s stare to Thorin, who was nodding. “Very well, we’ll do it your way… give him the contract.” Bilbo was protesting in the background as a contract was shoved in his direction, he grabbed it and gulped, I stood slowly, moving to him, he looked worrisome as he read it. I glanced back to the other dwarves in concern, though my eyes met Gandalf, who was watching Bilbo rather closely.

“Uh…’The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to…lacerations. Evisceration.” Bilbo squeaked and I looked over his shoulder to the contract, he looked up at me, holding the parchment in my direction.“Incineration?!” 

“Oh, aye, he’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.” Bofur spoke and I looked up to him with a glare, he shrugged before gesturing with his hands. “Think furnace… with wings.”

And yet the dwarf continued. “Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You’re nothing more than a pile of ash! “

“Bofur… you’re not helping-” I warned before hearing a sigh, and Bilbo spoke. 

“Yeah…No.” The hobbit fell back onto me and I caught him with wide eyes, looking up at the company. 

“Look what you’ve gone and done now, hmm?” I rolled my eyes, dragging Bilbo to an armchair.

“I’d like to speak to him please Anthea.” Gandalf’s voice sounded beside me as I ungracefully managed to slip the hobbit into a chair, I nodded but paused in the doorway to go back to the dining room. 

“And Gandalf?” I was met with a hum, I continued. “He’s just a hobbit… I know he may have courage but… are you sure about this?”

“I am sure.” He nodded and I sighed, stepping out of the room.

I sat beside Bofur near the fire, pursing my lips. “What exactly happened… to Eribor?” I asked and Balin spoke before the others did.

“I- It…” He cleared his throat before shaking his head. Thorin looked to me before glancing to the fire, starting to sing quietly.

“Far over the Misty Mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away ere break of day. To find our long forgotten gold.” 

His voice was deep, and I swallowed thickly, looking around at the dwarves, the fire crackling seeming far away though it was right beside me. 

“The pines were roaring on… the height, the winds were moaning in the night. The fire was red, it flaming spread. The trees like torches blazed with… light.”


	2. Chapter 2

After Bilbo had declined the contract to join the company, I had found myself a little disappointed, and I wasn’t exactly sure why I was. The dwarves had proved to be far merrier in the morning, some found themselves, like me, a little disappointed that Bilbo hadn’t come, but we pushed foreword regardless. The dwarvish men had all but sung the entirety of our exit of The Shire, it had been early, so the odd hobbit come out to yell at us about the racket, though it hadn’t bothered anyone, I found myself giving apologetic looks to the poor hobbits.

“I bet he’ll join us, ya know?” Fili looked up at me from down on his pony, due to my lager stature, I, along with Gandalf, was on a horse.

“I hope so…” I muttered, looking to him before I cleared my throat. “He had every right to decline.” I defended and he put a hand up with a small smirk.

“Never said he had to come, but uh-” He glanced around with a devilish grin that I had found myself growing familiar to. “Five gold pieces betting he shows up!” He announced and some grumbled while others bet him for it. I rolled my eyes and gestured to the blonde dwarf.

“Insufferable, you lot are.”I teased and felt a hand tap on the back of my horse, I glanced back to Bofur. “And you too.” I added, finding myself growing more comfortable in bickering with them.

“So, what are you anyway?” Bofur rode his pony up beside Fili,looking to me with a raised brow.

“What am I?”

“We know you’re a Mercenary… but what made Gandalf bring you along?”

“She’s coming to get paid. Nothing more. Nothing less.” Thorin spat from a while in front of us, I narrowed my eyes at the back of the dwarf, a soft huff leaving my lips as I watched him.

“I swear I’ll-” I raised my hand at him and Gandalf scoffed.

“Calm yourself Anthea, you’ll have to get used to the stubbornness of Thorin.” He shook his head and I let out a long breath, looking back to Bofur.

“I don’t know Bofur-”

“She’s an exceptional archer.” Gandalf chirped in and I looked to him, Kili sat upright on his pony and looked to me.

“I’ll bet against that.” He cocked a brow up at me and I grinned.

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” He smirked, gesturing to the bow he had with him, I glanced back to mine and it felt almost like a stand off. “Next time we stop Anthea, I’ll have you wrong.” He challenged and I leaned down a little.

“Sounds like we’ll see who the better archer is, Kili.” I replied, the dwarves around us laughing at the challenge.

“Wait! WAIT!” A familiar voice interrupted the conversation and I turned my head, pulling the reigns of the horse to a standstill, my eyes darted to the small hobbit running barefoot through the trees toward us, contract in hand and bag on back. I grinned slowly and nudged my leg against Fili, he smirked up at me before displaying five fingers, I laughed softly. “I signed it.” Bilbo breathed, catching his breath as he handed the signed parchment to Balin.

“Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.” Balin folded the contract and handed it back to Bilbo, smiling at him.

“Get him a pony.”

Bilbo’s face turned white at the order and he protested. “No, no, no, no. That…that won’t be necessary. Thank you. I’m sure I can keep up on foot. Yeah, I…I’ve done my fair share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frog Morton once.”

I rode my horse up beside the poor hobbit, looking to Fili as we gently grabbed Bilbo’s arms and pulled him onto a pony. “It’ll be alright Bilbo, just hold on, okay?” I muttered with a reassuring smile and his face went bright red as he clenched his thighs around the pony and gripped the reigns.

A bag of gold flew past my head down to Fili and I snorted, shaking my head as more money was tossed in different directions. “What’s that about?” Bilbo questioned and Gandalf looked back from his horse, moving to ride beside Bilbo.

“Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you’d turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn’t.” Gandalf smiled and I looked to Fili once more as the dwarf counted his winnings.

“And what did you think?”

Gandalf paused, looking around before shrugging a little. “Well…” He began before catching a bag of gold that had been tossed in his direction, he laughed. “My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second.”

There was a moment of silence and a sneeze sounded, I looked to Bilbo with a raised brow at his already red nose. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you, It’s just horse hair, I’m having a reaction.” He smiled at me before fumbling about in his pockets, for a good long while too before yelling. “Uh…wait, wait. Stop! Stop! We have to turn around.”

“Why Bilbo, what’s wrong?” I pulled against the reigns of my horse and looked down at the hobbit, he looked up at me seriously.

“I’ve forgotten my handkerchief!”

I paused, a bellowing laughter came from the company as everyone caught onto his concern, I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh at his expense, though he seemed worried enough that I at least attempted to hide it. “Dearest Bilbo, here.” I shook my head, looking for something to give to him as a handkerchief, but Bofur beat me to it. He tossed him a ripped rag from his clothes, I pursed my lips at it’s sweaty appearance before continuing on.

“You know, I would have much rathered something you had given me Anthea…” Bilbo trailed off and I laughed, looking down at him. “It would have probably been cleaner and less…”

“Sweaty?” I offered before reaching into my cloak, ripping off part of an old scarf I had shoved into one of it’s pockets. “Will this work?” I asked, handing him the softer material,he smiled and awkwardly reached up to take it from my hand.

“Thank you.” 

The evening came rather quickly, having travelled further than I perhaps ever had travelled in a day, I was exhausted, though the bickering and jokes from the dwarves around me was rather uplifting. When Thorin announced that we make camp, I gratefully slid down from my horse, my feet landing on the soft dirt, we had stopped on the side of a small mountain, trees covering us a majority from the forests down below. I stretched my arms above my head before reaching down to massage my thighs, which felt stiff from the long day of horseback.

I tied the horse up by a tree, grabbing my things and moving over to the makeshift camp that the others had already gotten going. “Anthea?” Kili’s voice sounded and I looked down to the smirking dwarf as he come over to me. “Still up for that challenge?”

I could feel the eyes of his brother on me and I tilted my head, grabbing my bow and arrows from the horse saddle. “Thought you forgot about me.” I teased and slapped his back gently.

“Alright, here you go-” Bofur was up against a tree, his knife in hand as he carved a makeshift bulls eye into the bark, I raised a brow and squeezed my bow in hand.

“That’s too easy Bofur-” I began and he huffed in thought before looking around, he grabbed an apple and pulled a scared looking Bombur over, he put the apple on his head and stepped back. “Don’t move Bombur, yeah? Kili’s probably going to shoot you.” I laughed and Bombur widened his eyes, Kili shoved past me and pulled his bow up, an arrow at his finger tips.

“Yeah yeah…” He muttered, taking a moment to focus before shooting the apple directly in the centre and knocking it from Bombur’s head. Who looked like he was about to pass out.

Kili moved to grab the apple from the floor, he wiped it on his tunic before holding it by the arrow and biting into it, smirking devilishly at me. “Go on.” He gestured to the target on the tree and I smirked, watching him eat the apple, I brought my bow up, the feathers of the iron arrow playing at my fingertips. I glanced to Kili before pulling the arrow back and shooting the apple from his mouth onto the floor, he choked on the apple and Bofur burst out laughing.

“You could have-” Kili protested and I smirked back at him.

“But I didn’t.”

By then the sun had all but set into the sky, the dwarves had settles in to sleep and the night had fallen over us in a blanket of utter darkness, gone were the lights of the towns and cities I knew, gone were the hearths and kind faces, the land was cruel and relentless and it had started to settle in. I rolled out my blanket onto the dirt near the fire, though sat up with Fili and Kili, the snores of the others (specifically Bombur) were all but deafening. 

Until a lowly screech came from the forests below us, I looked up, swallowing thickly as Bilbo came over to us, his expression grim. “What was that?”

“Orcs.” Kili and I spoke in unison and we glanced to each other before I cleared my throat and looked to Bilbo. 

“You’ll be alright up here Bilbo-” I assured him, confident in our company, Fili shook his head solemnly.

“Throat cutters. There’d be dozens of them out there. The low lands are crawling with them.”

“They strike, in the wee small hours, when everyone’s asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood.”

Bilbo widened his eyes and I glared at the brothers, huffing softly. “Shut it, you two.” I warned and they burst out laughing, Bilbo coming to sit on his blanket beside mine. “It’s alright, they’re just being-”

“Idiots.” Thorin finished my sentence for me, walking foreword to us. “You think that’s funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?”

“We didn’t mean anything by it-” Kili defended and Thorin scoffed, turning his back to us all. 

“No you didn’t. You know nothing of the world.” He scoffed, walking off. I turned to the brothers and furrowed my eyebrows, almost as if to tell them they did a great job. (sarcasm much implied.)

“Don’t mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs.” Balin came over to us, leaning against the side of the rocks near the fire, he cleared his throat and all was silent for a moment until he spoke again. “After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria.” He paused and looked me in the eye. “But our enemy had got’ there first.”

I glanced over to the brothers, who had since shut their mouths and like myself, were listening to Balin speak. 

“Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race, Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the king.” He looked to the fire, slowly shaking his head. “Thrain, Thorin’s father, was driven mad by grief, he went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc.”

All of us seemed to look up to where Thorin stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the forest below, I looked back to Balin and bit down onto my lip. “He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day, that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken… Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated, but there was no feast, nor song that night for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few, had survived.” Balin paused, looking up to Thorin, he pushed himself from the rock, standing proudly, I watched him, furrowing my eyebrows. “And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow, there is one I could call king.”

The dwarves around me stood, bowing their heads in respect to the brooding dwarven king, I watched as he walked back, my eyes darting to Balin. “And the pale orc? What happened to him after that?” I asked, more to Balin that Thorin, though Thorin was the one who answered. 

“He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago.”

_______________________________

The rain poured onto the company relentlessly, we had woken up to a blue, cloudless sky, though it seems nature had other plans when we saddled out horses and ponies, it seemed to set out against us. The horse hooves sunk into the mud a little more with every step and I found myself grateful that I wasn’t on a pony, looking around at the other members of the company, soaked and miserable.

I rode my horse onto the grass, gripping the reigns to keep it from wandering off, though I was stern enough with it that I assumed it would refrain from doing so. Bofur raised his head, his moustache slick with rainwater and his hat dripping what it had caught of the showers onto his face, which he seemed not to appreciate. “What are you doing lass?” 

“Keeping her out of the mud, poor creature will have it caked dry in her hooves later.” I brought my hand to the side of the horses mane, I had wished for gloved gloves on by now, the reigns doing nothing to my palms but burn them after hours, I would have to save breaking skin eventually. “And I wouldn’t imagine it would be easy to walk in it.”

Bofur pursed his lips, looking own at the muddy road before nodding, he looked around at the others. “I’m just glad we aren’t walking on foot.”

“I don’t know what yer’ talking about, I have bruises!” Dori looked to Bofur and I, and I nodded, looking down at my armoured legs, I hadn’t worn too much armour, saving my skin from irritation or many bruises horse back. What I wore consisted now of mostly leather with the odd bit of metal on my knees and elbows, which over the years I had found susceptible to the most injury on the road and in combat. The rain was not helping with anything of course. 

“You’ll be fine Dori, bruises ain’t going to hurt you much.” I smiled, following his gaze to Gandalf.

“Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can’t you do something about this deluge?” He asked, and I looked to the old man curiously, Bilbo unhappily riding a pony at his side. 

“It is raining, master dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard.” The voice from him was amused, almost, and he seemed to be enjoying the complaining of those around him. Which wasn’t to my surprise.

“Are there any?” Bilbo looked to the old man, perplexed, and I pulled the reigns of my horse to ride up closer to the pair, curious.

“What?”

“Other Wizards?”

“There are five us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, The White. Then there are the two blue wizards. Do you know, I’ve quite forgotten their names.” Gandalf glanced to me, humming at the back of his throat.

“You’ve only mentioned four.. who’s the fifth Wizard?” I asked, my eyes meeting the tired grey ones of the old man, he looked foreword, curling his lip in thought. 

“Well, that would be Radagast, The Brown.”

“Is he a great wizard or is he…more like you?” Bilbo leaned up a little from his pony, I snorted a laugh at his question and Gandalf turned his head to glare at me, I grinned and looked back to the horse I sat upon. 

“I think he’s a very great wizard, in his own way. He’s a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world.” 

I glanced up to Gandalf, furrowing my eyebrows lightly, the conversation slowly died down and the company rode in silence for a moment. Though there were rarely any silent moments for long. It was Fili who broke it this time. “Do you think that the dragon is all we will have to worry about?”

Gandalf glanced back to the blonde dwarf, licking his lips in thought before letting out a breath, his eyes darted amongst the trees around us and he slowly shook his head. “I think we’ll have a lot more to worry about than one dragon, Master Fili.” 

The rain had gratefully stopped later that morning, though it didn’t help dry the company any quicker, we were wet and some of us were obnoxiously grumpy. Regardless of being soaked and uncomfortable, I remained fairly hopeful of the day to come, even as I rode amongst arguing dwarves. My clothing had eventually dried out as much as they could on a horse back, though my boots continued to squelch when I stepped onto the grass, we had pulled the horses and ponies from the rode to grassy hills, a ruined house all that lay atop of it. 

“We’ll camp here for the night. Fili, Kili and Anthea, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them.” Thorin boomed and I pulled my boots off, scrunching my nose up at the cool air hitting my feet. I nodded to Thorin, though not appreciating him giving me orders, I walked barefoot, boots in hand, over to Fili and Kili, they looked me over.

"You have your boots off?” Kili asked, as if the motion was obscure.

“Yes, I don’t appreciate wet feet.” I hummed, heading over to the horses and ponies that the others had tied, trailing the reign of my horse behind me. I moved to the others, tying the horse up on an old tree stump before sitting on it, looking to the brothers. “It appears we have gotten the easiest task.”

“It does appear that way, doesn’t it?” Fili laughed, planting himself down beside me as I slid my damp boots back on, it wouldn’t help to be barefoot if something attacked us and I hadn’t liked the vulnerability of it anyway. Damp boots would have to do. 

“I’m just grateful we aren’t riding more today, my legs-” Kili looked down at his thighs, shaking his head softly and looking back up. “Stiff as a board.”

“You’ll get used to it.” I pulled my cloak off and stood, hanging it on a tree branch to air out. “Maybe not day long trips on ponies, but you’ll get used to pain from travelling.” I spared him a glance, smiling. 

“It seems Thorin is short tempered today-” Fili began before hearing a yell, we looked up to see Gandalf storming off to his horse. I frowned and stepped foreword, a brooding Thorin standing by the house ruins.

“Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?” Bilbo’s short legs scurried after the wizard as he climbed on his horse, he glared down at the hobbit before gripping the reigns.

“To seek the company of the only one around here who’s got any sense.”

“And who’s that?” Bilbo frowned, glancing around at the company.

“Myself, mister Baggins! I’ve had enough of dwarves for one day.” Gandalf huffed in annoyance, striding off without another word, the horse galloping on the grass filling the silence that he had left behind him. I turned to Bilbo, who gave a concerned look, Kili put a hand on my arm and I turned back to the ponies, I wasn’t too concerned about Gandalf’s absence.

Yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Night had fallen on the camp, like the evening before, there was a fire and hungry dwarves standing around it eagerly, I had never appreciated the dark on my travels, though being with others definitely helped. I sat on a tree stump with Fili and Kili, my legs pulled to my chest as they spoke stories of the Blue Mountains, what it was like there.

“And it’s all we’ve ever known… it’s peaceful but-” Kili frowned and looked down, Fili cleared his throat.

“Not home. It doesn’t feel right.” There was a breath of quiet after Fili spoke and I looked up to the other dwarves over by the fire. 

“And where is your home, Anthea?” Kili glanced up at me curiously, I paused a moment, I hadn’t really spoken to anyone about my life, call me closed-off, but it wasn’t a conversation I wished to have. Let alone have it with dwarves I had known but two days. I wiped my hands on the thighs of my pants, slowly standing up. 

“We should check on the ponies.” I muttered, looking away from the watchful eyes of the young brothers. They stood with me, without a word, though I could see them giving each other a bewildered glance, I ignored it. Lost in thought as we walked over to where we had tied the ponies.

When we stood, faced with only fourteen ponies, I widened my eyes, glancing to Fili. “Did we not have sixteen?” I asked, though by the expression on his face, I assumed I was right regardless of his response. I swallowed. “Where could they have gone-”

Footsteps approaching us startled me, and I turned my head to meet the gentle gaze of Bilbo, managing to balance three bowls of food in his arm, he frowned as I let out a long breath. “What’s the matter?”

“We’re supposed to be looking after the ponies.“ Kili stated, staring off into the dark trees. Fili dragged his eyes up to me, concerned before he glanced to Bilbo.

“Only we’ve encountered a slight problem.”

“We had started with sixteen ponies, save my horse…” I paused, pulling my lip between my teeth before reaching back over to the tree stump in which we had been sitting on, picking up my bow and arrows. “And now we only have fourteen… Come on.” I breathed, my feet crunching on sticks and leaves as I moved toward the ponies. 

“Daisy and Bungle are missing.” Kili added, grabbing his sword and moving with me.

The boys followed behind me, Bilbo still carrying the bowls of food, ungracefully of course. “What? Well, that’s not good. And that is not good at all. Shouldn’t we tell Thorin?” I stepped over a branch, widening my eyes as an uprooted tree on the floor, then looking further, it was apparent it wasn’t the only one. I looked back to the Bilbo, shaking my head. 

“No, he’s short tempered today, wouldn’t want him to worry.” I muttered, then looking to the fallen trees, my voice quieter. “He’d throw a tantrum regardless.” 

My comment caused a small smile from Fili, though he looked back at Bilbo and shrugged. “She’s right… As our official burglar, we thought you might like to look into it.” He suggested and I raised my eyebrow at him, my eyes drifting to Bilbo. 

“Well, uh…it looks as if something big uprooted these trees.“ Bilbo visibly gulped and gestured with one of the bowls to the large stumps.

"That was our thinking.” Kili nodded in approval and I watched the poor hobbit fumble to get the words out, his voice coming forth squeaky and nervous.

“It’s something very big, and possibly quite dangerous.” He noted and I stepped foreword, bow in hand readily, I glanced to the darkness, my eyes meeting the soft glow of a fire.

“Shhh, look, there’s a light over there- come on.” I climbed over one of the fallen trees, Kili, Fili and Bilbo following close behind as we ventured closer. I landed on the grass before feeling a low rumble in the floor beneath me, I stumbled and grabbed the tree, pulling Bilbo behind me as Kili and Fili took the other tree.

“What is it?” Bilbo muttered up at me and I glanced around the tree, seeing a fat troll carrying two ponies, neighing in his arms. He was ugly, though I had seen trolls before, this one had been top of the list.

“Trolls. They’re trolls Bilbo.” I breathed, letting go of him to look more from behind the tree.

“He’s got Myrtle and Minty! I think they’re gonna eat them, we have to do something.” He whispered back to me and I nodded, about to speak, but Kili interrupted me.

“Yes, you should. Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you’re so small. They’ll never see you.”

“Me? Me? No. No. No!” I could feel Bilbo’s fear radiating off of him and I dragged my almost dissapointed eyes to Kili, questioning his suggestion.

“He’s told us before Kili, he’s not a burglar” I whispered and Bilbo nodded furiously beside me.

“See? You heard her! I’m no burglar, no no!”

“It’s perfectly safe!” Kili continued and Fili put his hands foreword, moving over to Bilbo, pushing him foreword.

“We’ll be right behind you. If you run into trouble hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl.” Fili started ushering Bilbo foreword and I sighed, following behind the small hobbit.I glared to Fili and he smirked, turning away.

“Twice like a barn owl, hoot twice like a brown…hoots like a…like a… Uh, are you sure this is a good idea?“ Bilbo stammered, glancing back to find only me behind him. I put a hand on his back gently. 

“They took their food and ran.” I whispered, not at all surprised. Though Bilbo let out a long breath. 

“At least I’m not alone.” He smiled and I shook my head, about to speak, but a trolls voice boomed and I pulled Bilbo to crouch down beside me. 

“Mutton yesterday, mutton today. And blimey, if it don’t look like mutton again tomorrow.” The troll that held the two ponies in his arms thumped over to the fire, where two other trolls sat, I scrunched up my nose, my hand still on Bilbo’s arm as he crouched beside me and we moved foreword to the ponies. The troll put them in a makeshift pen with a number of other horses and I swallowed. 

“Quit your griping. These ain’t sheep! These is West nags!”

“Oh! I don’t like horse. I never have. Not enough fat on them.” A shrieking voice spoke and I tucked my bow behind me, I lent down near Bilbo. 

“We have to pull the gate open and let them out, alright?” I whispered, gesturing to the thick rope that held the pen together, I pursed my lips and let out a steady breath. “I’ll distract them, if you’re as nimble as Gandalf says you are, I’ll trust you to cut the rope while I do, okay?”

Bilbo looked like he might faint, but nodded quickly, I squeezed his shoulder softly as the trolls continued to converse. “Well, it’s better than a leathery ol’ farmer. All skin and bone he was. I’m still pickin’ bits of him out o’ me teeth.”

“Go Bilbo.” I pushed him slowly in the direction of the pen and I come around, standing from my place, the commotion between the trolls stopped, one had a hold of the others nose but he let go when he saw me. 

“Excuse me?” I spoke loudly, clenching my whole body tightly as three sets of ugly eyes turned to me. 

“Who’re you?” One of them stood from his seat and I took a step back, putting my hands up in defence with a smile. 

“Listen- uh.” I glanced to Bilbo as he struggled with the thick rope of the pen, everything in me stopping me from tossing him a dagger. “I smelt your cooking-”

“Enough talkin’, we’ll eat yer!” A wooden spoon was pointed in my direction and I reached for my bow slowly.

“That’s not-” My eyes darted to Bilbo, crawling behind one of the trolls, I widened my eyes and shook my head rigorously. “THAT’S NOT A GOOD IDEA!” I yelled, more to Bilbo than to the ugly brutes wanting to eat me.

“Why’s she yellin-”

“What’s wrong with her?” 

The conversation was interrupted by a deathly sneeze and I looked to the middle troll, who held a large handkerchief covered in snot in his hand. And a small hobbit. I winced, Bilbo trying to wriggle out of the trolls hand, I pulled my bow out and aimed at the troll. “Put him down!” I began but he threw Bilbo on the floor regardless, a disgusted expression on his face.

“What is it!?” He squealed and pointed at a snot covered Bilbo, who ran to my side as I aimed the arrow. “I don’t like the way it wriggles around!” 

I had a clear shot, but the three trolls started moving closer. “What are yer?”

“A burglar-” Bilbo squeaked from beside me and I nudged him, he stood upright, his hands up. “A hobbit!” 

“A ‘burglar-hobbit’?” The troll asked and I stepped back, he looked to me. “And what do yer think you’re doing?!” 

“Come closer and find out!” I spat, swallowing as he sneered at me. 

“Can we cook em, Bert?”

“We can try!” 

On the same note, three trolls started barrelling toward us and I widened my eyes, dropping the arrow I had been aiming as I ducked under the arm of a troll, pushing Bilbo out of the way of stamping feet. “Perhaps there’s more burglar hobbits, enough for a pie!” One of them suggested, looking to me. “Are there any more of yer!?” He questioned and I pulled Bilbo behind me, shaking my head. 

“Yer lying!” A troll came onto my side, grabbing the poor hobbit from behind me, I gasped and went for my bow but in my distraction, a large hand clasped around my arm, lifting me up by it. 

“Drop them!” A familiar voice sounded and I looked from my compromising position to see Fili and Kili, swords ready in defence. I reached my hand out, the one which was not in a painful troll grasp. 

“Give me a sword!” I spat and Kili threw it toward me, the hilt landing ungracefully in my palm as I turned on a whim, slicing the trolls arm and sending me tumbling onto the floor with a thud. 

“We said, drop him!” Fili yelled before bringing his sword down on Bilbo’s captor, sending the hobbit flying into mine and Kili’s direction, knocking us both to the floor. I pushed him off me and stood, pulling him by the back of his shirt to his feet in time to dodge a troll foot under us. Swords clashing and yelling from the brothers ensued and I tossed the sword back to Kili, grabbing my bow as dwarves ran from the bushes, lead by Thorin. 

The ground rattled and shook with every step and fall of the trolls and it was hard to keep balance, aiming my arrow and shooting, the troll squealing loudly as the arrow planted itself deep into it’s calf. I ducked under the retaliation hit from it, a low breath leaving my lips as I stepped out of the way of Thorin’s sword near my head. I spared him a glare before turning-

“Lay down your arms! Or we’ll rip his off!” We looked up, Bilbo was spread out between the grip of two trolls, about to combust in their hold. A moment passed and I met Bilbo’s scared eyes before dropping my bow to the ground, earning a glance from Thorin who followed suit. 

And that was how we ended up with nothing but out undergarments on. The trolls sparing me no privacy as I now remained in my trousers and a chest wrap, scars from the years covering my back and shoulders, showing a lot more skin than I would have cared to show. Though it was irrelevant wrapped in the potato sacks we sat in, awaiting our death as dwarves turned over above the fire, scrambling curses and pleas. 

“Don’t bother cooking ’em! Let’s just sit on ’em and squash ’em into jelly!”

“They should be sauteed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage.”

“Oh that does sound quite nice!” 

“Never mind the seasoning, we ain’t got all night! Dawn ain’t far away, let’s get a move on! I don’t fancy been turned to stone.” I paused at the arguing and widened my eyes. Stone. Trolls turned to stone in the daylight. It seemed I wasn’t the only one with an idea, I glanced to Bilbo and he looked to me a moment before scrambling to get up.

“Wait! You are making a terrible mistake.” He explained and I managed to move myself to sit up more. 

“He’s right you know!” I breathed, glancing to Kili who was frowning at us.

“You can’t reason with them, they’re half-wits!” Dori yelled from his position tied up over the fire, Bofur scrambled to look at me in confusion. 

“Half wits? What does that make us?!”

“I meant with the…uh, with the…with the seasoning.” Bilbo continued and I nodded to agree, pointing to the pile of dwarves that the trolls were currently attempting to roast over the fire. 

“He’s right, I mean-” I glanced around, my eyes landing on Thorin, an idea crossed my mind and I looked back to the trolls. “They’re sweaty, we’ve been on the road for days caked in mud, and have you smelt them?!” I pointed right at Thorin when I said this in a half attempt to piss him off, he growled at the back of his throat and glared at me.

“What do you know about cooking dwarf?” The ugly trolls eyes turned to Bilbo and I in the midst of the dwarves yelling at us for insulting them. 

“Shut up, and let the…uh, lady and flurgerburbur-hobbit talk!” 

“Uh…the-the secret to cooking dwarf, is um…” Bilbo began, looking to me for help and I racked my brain, swallowing thickly and tapping the inside of the potato sack in an attempt to get an idea.

“Yes? Come on” The sneezing troll stomped over to us and I nudged Bilbo as he frowned in thought. 

“Tell us the secret!”

Bilbo fumbled and I interrupted his uh’s and oh’s with a small yell, my cheeks red from the eyes on me as I spoke. “What he’s trying to say is that you have to-” I paused, glancing around before nodding. “You have to gut them first!”

“And skin them!” Bilbo added, his face filled with pride for the contribution. This earned yells and curses from the company and I gave an apologetic tilt of my head to the dwarves on the spit roast. Who were actually all glaring at Bilbo and I.

“Tom, get me filleting knife.” 

“What a load of rubbish! I’ve eaten plenty with their skins on. Scoff ’em I say, boots and all!” One interjected, grabbing the potato sack that Bombur occupied, the poor red haired dwarf widened his eyes in fear and struggled to free himself from the trolls grip. 

“He’s right! Nothing wrong with a bit o’ raw dwarf.” 

As Bombur was lowered to the trolls mouth,I widened my eyes, stepping foreword, but Bilbo shoved his arm in front of me, gesturing up on the rocks. I flicked my eyes up in time to see Gandalf running past, I nodded slowly as Bilbo yelled and pointed to Bombur.

“Not that one! He’s infected!” Bilbo yelled and I nudged him, pulling my arms from the potato sack.

“You what?” The troll gripped Bombur, pulling him from his mouth. 

“Yes! He’s got large worms, as big as my arm!” I yelled, holding my arm out to him. “In his… In his tubes!” 

This notion must have had the desired outcome, as Bombur went flying into the group of dwarves with a thump and Bilbo let out a long breath, he shook his head. “In-in fact, they all have. They’re infested with parasites, it’s a terrible business, I wouldn’t risk it, I really wouldn’t.”

“Parasites? Did they say parasites?” Oin yelled out and I closed my eyes a moment as I heard Kili chime in too.

“Yeah, we don’t have parasites!” He glared at Bilbo and I, pausing. “You two have parasites!”

“Shutup” I mumbled with a small shake of my head, my eyes drifting to Thorin, I raise my eyebrows and tilt my head to Kili and Thorin seems to catch onto what I was doing. He kicked Kili and gave him a peering expression. Kili frowned but widened his eyes and kicked the others around him. 

“I’ve got parasites bigger than the lass’s arm!”

“Mine are the biggest parasites, I’ve got huge parasites!”

“We’re riddled!”

All the dwarves seemed to catch onto what was happening and the trolls beady eyes glared around at us, not seeming to believe. “What would you have us do then? Let ’em all go?”

“Well…” Bilbo started and I nodded eagerly. 

“Yes, it’s honestly not worth it, you’ll catch what they have!” 

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to. These little ferrets are taking us for fools!” The troll boomed and I furrowed my eyebrows, Bilbo and I speaking in unison. 

“FERRETS?” 

I brought my fist up, glaring at the troll. “I’ll show you a ferret, you fat pig!”I spat, well with in the mindset to hit the troll, but Bilbo grabbed my arm just as a voice boomed. Gandalf.

“The dawn will take you all!” He yelled and the trolls gave eachother bewildered expressions. 

“Who’s that?”

“Dunno.”

“Can we eat him too?”

I grinned as the rock beside Gandalf came tumbling down, basking the small clearing in the early morning sunlight and I had never been more grateful to feel the light on my face as I did now. I looked to the trolls as they hissed, turning into stone at the sunlight, my heart beating fast at the small victory. I nudged Bilbo and spared the hobbit a kind smile.

“Well done, Bilbo. Well done.” I praised and he bashfully shooed me away. I shoved my potato sack off, barefoot in the dirt and feeling less vulnerable than I should be feeling in my wrap and trousers, he cool air hitting my stomach and shoulders. I stepped from Bilbo, rushing over to the other dwarves to help them from the bags in which they had been in. 

“Parasites huh?” Kili smirked, looking to me and I shook my head, grabbing his hand to pull him up, a playful smile at my lips.

“Your arms ain’t that big, that’s a pretty small parasite.” Fili joked and I turned my gaze to him. 

“Shut up, both of you.” I laughed, turning to Gandalf, he was conversing with Thorin and I walked over as the others untied themselves. “Where were you?” I asked and was met with two sets of eyes on me.

“I was looking ahead.” Gandalf tilted his head to me and Thorin gave a questionable stare. 

“And what brought you back?” 

“Looking behind.” Gandalf paused a moment, looking around at the company. “Nasty business. Still they all are in one piece.”

Thorin’s glare turned to me and he raised his brow, flicking his tongue over his lip. “No thanks to you and the Burglar.” He spat and I clenched my jaw, stepping foreword at him in challenge. 

“Shut your mouth, what were you doing?” I argued, meeting his glare with my own. Gandalf moved between us and looked at us both. 

“Enough Thorin. They had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that.” Gandalf sighed, looking to the frozen trolls. “They must have come down from the Ettenmoors.”

A wistful look passed Thorins face and he furrowed his brows. “Do mountain trolls venture this far south?” He asked and I shook my head.

“They don’t usually.” I breathed and Gandalf narrowed his eyes.

“Anthea is right, trolls don’t venture south anymore… Not since a darker power ruled these lands.” He paused in thought and hummed. “They could not have travelled in daylight…”

“There must be a cave nearby.” Thorin grumbled, turning on his heel to the others. I sighed softly, Gandalf’s hand moved to my bare shoulder reassuringly. 

“He’ll come around… go on, get your things.” He nudged me and I smiled a little, my bare feet in the dirt as I walked back down into the clearing, finding my clothes and slipping the tunic on and my corselet around my waist, tying it tightly and pulling my armour back on piece by piece. 

When I had gotten dressed and grabbed my things from our camp, my bow lying in the grass somewhere, I followed behind Thorin and others as we searched for the troll cave. We approached a large rock and a foul stench hit my nose, I winced and put my arm over my mouth in disgust. 

“Oh, what’s that stench?!” Bofur grumbled beside me and Gandalf looked to us, a contemplating frown on his face.

“It’s a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch.” 

As the company ventured further into the cave, I found myself in a near state of gagging, Bofur in the same state beside me. My eyes darted around all the jewels and gold and I raised my brow, leaning down to a pile of coins. “Collectors. Filth.” I spat, picking up a coin before tossing it back into the pile and standing upright. Some of the dwarves had begun to bury some of the gold and I smiled a little, amused at their antics. 

“These swords were not made by any troll.” Thorin’s voice came from beside me and I glanced to the shiny object in his hands, I noticed a pile of them beside him. I bent down to look through the web and dust covered weapons until my hand landed on the riser of a bow, I gripped it and pulled it from the pile. It was larger than my own, and with a bit of a dust off, a great deal shinier. I smiled, it seemed the day was looking up.

“Nor were they made by any smith among men.” Gandalf looked between Thorin and the bow in my hands as I wiped it on my cloak, a small smile on my lips still. “These were forged in Gondolin, by the High Elves, of the First Age.” He paused and Thorin huffed so he continued. “You could not wish for a finer blade.”

I looked up to Gandalf and back to the bow, he gestured to it. 

“I suggest keeping that, Anthea. It will do you well.” He gave a kind smile and I nodded, sliding my old bow of sharply cut wood from my backside, I placed it on the floor and whispered a small thank you to it before sliding the new weapon onto my back, a sense of pride in it already, though it was of elvish make, I did not mind. 

The company soon left the cave and I could have sworn that the breath of fresh air after exiting was climactic. I took a long breath and stepped foreword, my brown hair tied unhinged at the base of my neck into a ponytail, though the strands faltered in the cool breeze. I looked up as Bofur slammed back into me, Thorin gathering the company behind him. “Something is coming!” 

I widened my eyes as birds flew at us from the trees and loud screeching disturbed anything around us, pulling my bow from it’s hold behind me, I aimed at the intruder. An old man on a sleigh came barrelling out right for me and I pushed Bofur from it’s way in time as the old man came face to face with my arrow pointed between his eyes. He gasped and I glared at his form in warning, feeling the dwarves eyes on me. 

“Anthea! Put that arrow away!” Gandalf shouted and I looked to the grey wizard in question, he scurried foreword. “Radagast. It’s Radagast the Brown!” At the name of familiarity, I huffed, lowering my bow and arrow hesitantly.

“Sorry.” I muttered, Bofur grabbing my arm to pull me back. I slid the bow away and pulled my lip between my teeth as everyone lowered theire weapons from the old man in brown robes, he had shit down his face and a crazy look in his eyes and we were all curious. 

“What on earth are you doing here?” Gandalf asks and Radagast frowns, putting a finger up as he was about to speak.

“I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong.”

“Yes?” 

“Just give me a minute. Um…Oh! I had a thought and now I’ve lost it. It was…it was was right there, on the tip of my tongue! Oh! It’s not a thought at all! It’s a silly old… stick insect.” Radagast was stammering, but slowly opened his mouth to reveal the bug on his tongue, I cringed and Gandalf grabbed it to pull from his mouth, handing it to him. 

The wizards soon walked off to converse, I sat on one of the rock by the cave, watching the old men curiously. Bilbo came over to me, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. “Anthea?” He asked and I looked up.

“What is it?” I questioned and he seemed a little taken aback that I actually responded. 

“Thank you, back at the troll’s camp… you backed me up.” He spared me an awkward smile and I tilted my head at him, standing up and towering over the poor little hobbit. 

“Of course, it was a smart idea.” I returned the smile before glancing around at the rest of the company. “If it weren’t for you Bilbo, as much as Thorin hates to admit it, we might all be in a troll stomach by now.” I laughed softly and his cheeks went red with the praise.

“Well you helped too!” He reassured me and I went to speak, but Thorin interrupted me.

“Stop basking in the unnecessary glory, Merc. You’re both-” He spat but I stepped foreword, at this point, grateful for my height advantage on him.

“If it weren’t for Bilbo, you’d be dead Thorin. He deserves to bask in the glory.” I spoke venomously toward him and he narrowed his eyes, I could feel the watchful stare of the company around us and we stepped closer to each other.

“Well then-” Thorin started, but a howl ripped through the trees, causing both of us to pause and look up, Bilbo widened his eyes.

“Was that a wolf? Are there…are there wolves out there?” He stammered and Bofur shook his head. 

“Wolves? No, that is not a wolf.”

I widened my eyes as a warg scout jumped out from the trees onto Thorin, who slashed it with a sword, it yelped and took to the ground. Just as another slipped past to dash at the company, I yelled out. “DUCK, OIN!” The old dwarf looked to me with wide eyes before ducking as the warg scout jumped over him and I pulled the bow from my back, shooting an arrow directly between it’s eyes as Kili shot the other that can cornered around to us.

“Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack is not far behind!” Thorin screeched and I felt sick to my stomach, I had had my fair run in with Orcs, and none of them had been particularly enjoyable.

“Orc pack?” Bilbo stammered and I glanced to the small hobbit lowly. 

Gandalf pointed his staff foreword to Thorin. “Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?”

“No one!”

“Who did you tell?” Gandalf repeated and Thorin held his sword out, pointing it at me.

“Nobody! Perhaps you should ask the Merc!” He spat aggressively and before I got the chance to so much as curse him, he was yelling again. “What in Durin’s name is going on?!”

Gandalf glanced around the company a moment and I watched him closely, gripping the elvish bow tightly. “We are being hunted.” 

“We have to get out of here!” Dwalin boomed, grabbing a sword from it’s sheath at his side as Ori spoke up.

“We can’t! We have no ponies. They bolted.”

“By the gods.” I muttered under my breath, I had left some things on the saddle of my horse, non-essentials, but still inconvenient.

“I’ll draw them off.” Radagast stated, nodding his head and Gandalf looked to him as if it was the stupidest idea he had yet to come up with. 

“These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you!”

A moment of silence passed within the company before Radagast thrusted a thumb toward his sleigh. “These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I’d like to see them try.”

On the same note, the company grabbed their things and Radagast mounted his sleigh, riding off into the trees. I felt a surge of guilt in my stomach at his risk in trying to distract them from us. The group moved foreword until we hit the edge of the forest, my eyes met a large valley, the grass was yellow under the sun and there was rocks and trees scattered through it. And an orc pack. 

Radagast laughed and sleighed away from us, sending the orcs in another direction and Gandalf pushed us all foreword. The day had turned from one predicament to another, except this predicament involved the group sprinting for the valley, my boots crunching on the grass as I ran beside Bilbo and Bofur, my bow in hand still. 

“Stay together!” Gandalf hissed and the group seemingly moved closer to one another. Being, beside Gandalf, the only one with long legs in the group, I was half off grabbing Bilbo and Bofur at my sides, throwing them over my shoulders and running. Ignoring the factor that I wouldn’t be able to carry both of them, let alone run with them over my shoulders, so I settled for running at their pace.

We kept running as Radagast squealed and yelled in the distance, the growls of the warg scouts following it. I turned around a rock and widened my eyes at the close by orc pack, shaking my head and grabbing the arms of whoever was close by, I pulled the dwarves in another direction. “They’re right there- this way!” 

Gandalf lead forth the group in the direction before circling off the way and gesturing for the company to follow him. Thorin hissed out. “Where are you leading us?” He asked and Gandalf spared him a mere glance as a response. He ushered us to dive under a small rock face, pulling us all back against it, the rock felt cool against the palm of my hand that wasn’t gripping my bow. There was a low growl and the shadow of a warg scout and master orc stood above the rock face, Thorin brushed his arm against me and my eyes darted to him and to Kili, who nodded at me. He followed in tow as I stepped out into the sun, arrow aiming for the orc, Kili shot first, his arrow hitting the warg scout as mine hit the orc in the side of the head. 

They didn’t die quietly of course and I winced, Kili reached over to grip my arm and move me as the orc tumbled over the edge, landing on the grass beside us, my heart thumped quickly and I thanked him. 

Our victory was short lived.

The pack of orcs squealed and howled and came barrelling toward us, Kili let go of my arm as Gandalf yelled out. “Move! Run!” The company moved, without needing a cue to, my eyes landed on Bilbo in concern at his faint appearance and I moved behind the group, making sure no dwarf was pacing behind as we sprinted to follow Gandalf across the valley. “This way, quickly!”

“There are more of them coming!” Kili shouted and Thorin’s gaze once again turned to the only two archers in the group. The brunette dwarf brother nodded at me and we stepped back from the group, giving a length between us as I turned on my heel to the pack, shooting down an orc as I did. I was profoundly grateful for tying my hair back at that point. Kili and I shot arrow after flying arrow, but more and more orcs seemed to be coming over the hill. I barely had enough time to notice Gandalf run off. 

“We’re surrounded!” Fili cursed loudly, striking down a warg scout as the company readied themselves for a fight. He glanced around and widened his eyes. “Where’s Gandalf?!” 

“He’s abandoned us!” Dwalin spat and I ducked under an orc arrow whirling past my head. The orc pack moved in and we found ourselves backing up into a circle, Kili and I on the outer ring. 

“Hold your ground!” Thorin ordered and I spared a glance to Kili, it seemed that the group was getting tighter and I was on the verge of panic at the situation, it seemed hopeless-

“This way, you fools!” Gandalf yelled from behind us and I let out the breath I hadn’t realised I was holding, the group raced for the old man, and I looked back to see dwarf after dwarf sliding down into some sort of opening in the rock. It seemed luck had found us.

The company, save for Fili, Kili and I, had slid into the opening, Kili and I shooting arrows every chance we could while Fili cut down the strays.

“Fili, Kili!” Thorin boomed and the brothers turned to him. “Run!” He spat and I took a notable realisation of the lack of my name, but I followed behind the brothers regardless. They dived into the cave and I followed behind them, sliding down into a dark hole, almost knocking over some dwarves in the process. 

“Are you alright?” Bofur’s concerned voice sounded beside me and my eyes turned to Thorin, though it was more of a glare than anything. 

“Never better.” I muttered quietly. The company was quiet for a moment before the sounds of galloping was heard, I looked up to the cave opening and frowned before an orc flew into the group, having been shot with an arrow, screeching and yelling heard from above. Thorin bent down to the orc and pulled the arrow from it, a glare in his eyes.

“Elves.” He spat and we all looked up again. Dwalin spoke up from behind us and I turned my head to see an open doorway of rock leading through a path.

“I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or not?”

“Follow it of course!” Bofur nodded eagerly and the company moved to the opening, single file enough to fit through the small gap. 

“I think that would be wise.” Gandalf breathed and I moved to walk behind Bofur at the back of the group, Gandalf behind me. As we moved down the pathway, I glanced back to Gandalf, my voice low. 

“Elves, Gandalf, where are we going?” I asked and he glanced past me to Thorin. 

“You’ll see. Though I doubt our young king will like it.”

We made our way to the exit and come out into another valley, though this far more green and welcoming, I was perplexed, until my eyes landed on the vast city before us. It’s walls shone in the sunset and the waterfalls dived gracefully from balconies and cliffs. I widened my eyes and the dwarves collectively let out sounds of awe. 

“The Valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it’s known by another name.” Gandalf spoke softly and Bilbo gasped beside me.

“Rivendell.” He breathed and I felt a surge of curiosity in my chest, I had heard stories of the great elves, and I had met a few on my travels, but never had I seen an elven city. 

“Here lies the last homely house, east of the sea.” Gandalf continued and Thorin audibly scoffed.

“This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy.”

“You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself.” Gandalf sighed, glancing to me, I let a smile play at my lips, of course I still had the urge to bicker with Thorin, but I kept my mouth shut as my gaze turned back to Rivendell.

“You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us.”

There was a long pause and Gandalf shook his head, amused. “Of course, they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking to me.”


	4. Chapter 4

The air in the valley was cleaner than any air I had known. The breeze blew through my hair as we walked toward the city, my boots were, for once, not crunching on sticks and dead leaves, but soft green grass. It was late afternoon and the wind whistling through the trees was colder than I probably would have liked normally, though I welcomed it after the day we had endured and the lack of sleep from the night before. I knew that we would find no trolls here. 

The company walked foreword to a long bridge over a cavern of water and I clenched my jaw at the look of the drop below, not straying too far from the middle, I walked by Kili, who watched around us with narrowed eyes. If it had not been for the fact that Thorin was a mere two steps in front of us, I may have questioned Thorin’s hate for the elves. Though I remained quiet.

We approached a gateway of elvish statues and a large staircase, where a tall, brunette elf awaited us. He smiled kindly and put his arm forth in welcome, I stayed behind the group, it had steadily become an instinct of mine to make sure no dwarf was wandering behind.

“Mithrandir.” The elf looked to Gandalf with a smile and I raised a brow at the word in which I had never heard.

“Ah, Lindir.”Gandalf nodded, chuckling softly, I glanced to Thorin as he whispered in Thorin’s ear. Though my gaze didn’t remain on the stubborn dwarf long as I looked back up to Gandalf. The elf spoke in a tongue I hadn’t understood and I narrowed my eyes, perhaps learning elvish would have been wise. 

“I must speak with Lord Elrond.” Gandalf stated and the elf frowned a little, glancing in my direction before clearing his throat.

“My Lord Elrond is not here.”

“Not here? Where is he?” Gandalf frowned, interrupted by a low blow of a horn, I turned my head at a group of elves came riding on horse toward us, a hunting party. I was all but pulled from my curious gaze as Bofur grabbed my arm to pull me into a circle of the dwarves, though I could see above them, I was surrounded as the elves came riding in around us. 

“Close ranks!” Thorin ordered and I tried shoving myself from the group but couldn’t, the small bodied dwarves circling around me in fighting stance. I sighed, looking up as another elf came riding in, he wore a thin gold crown above his hair and I widened my eyes as he jumped off of is horse near the company. He was an elf lord. 

“Gandalf!” He cheerfully greeted and the old wizard turned his head, a grin on his lips.

“Lord Elrond.” Gandalf spoke softly before turning to the elvish tongue and I found myself cursing my lack of planning for this quest. Not that elvish was easy to learn, but it may have been helpful. The two conversed in the unknown tongue and I awaited Gandalf to speak to us.

“Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near.” Lord Elrond’s gaze turned to the company and I met his eyes a moment before dropping my stare, Thorin stepped foreword from the huddle to him.

“Ah, that may have been us.” Gandalf chuckled softly.

“Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain.” Lord Elrond lowered his head out of respect to Thorin, who did not return the gesture, meeting his with a glare.

“I do not believe we have met.” He spoke coldly and Lord Elrond appeared almost amused.

“You have your Grandfather’s bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain.”

“Indeed? He made no mention of you.”Thorin spat and I almost face palmed at his stubbornness, my eyes looked around me, meeting the gaze of one of the elves on the horse beside us, he smiled softly and I returned it quickly before averting my gaze. I was well aware that not all elves were of royal blood, but their graceful presence made me feel lesser and I wasn’t used to that feeling.

Lord Elrond spoke in his native tongue again and the dwarves became increasingly riled up around me. “What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?” Gloin questioned and I swallowed thickly as dwalin stepped foreword threateningly.

“No, Master Gloin, he’s offering you food.” Gandalf assured the worked up dwarves and they conversed a moment before clearing throats and nodding heads.

“Well in that case… lead on.”

_______________________________

The elves had allowed us to stay the night, unlike the dwarves, Gandalf and I seemed to have a lot more to do with them during our stay. They had kept to their offer, and food was provided for the company. I sat aside Gandalf and across from Lord Elrond, at a taller table to which a smaller legged one had been dragged out for the dwarves. Dinner was simple, though I was grateful for something other than dwarf cooking in which I had been enduring for the past month or so, even if it consisted of kale, fruit and eggs. 

Gandalf pulled the swords that we had taken from the troll hoard and placed them in front of the elf lord, I glanced to the bow I had propped against my chair and frowned lightly. Lord Elrond inspected the swords, he pulled one from it’s sheath and hummed. “This is Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver. A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West. My kin.” He placed the sword to Thorin beside him and smiled. “May it serve you well.”

He continued with the other sword, holding it carefully in front of him. “And this is Glamdring. The Foe-hammer, sword of the King of Gondolin. These swords were made for the Goblin wars of the First…” Lord Elrond handed the sword back to Gandalf before his easy gaze fell on me, he gestured to my side at the steel longbow. “You carry Thúl rýn,or in your tongue, Wind Chaser. A bow that served one of the first elf Lords of Greenwood, now called Mirkwood, I believe. Unusual, considering the elves of Greenwood generally resort to shorter bows. Take care of it.” He nodded gracefully and I looked down at the bow, swallowing thickly. 

I excused myself from dinner soon after, hauling the bow over my back and leaving the dining hall, I had yet to so much as glance around the city and it was so vast that it would have taken me all night to explore it. Lord Elrond had told me that I was free to look around and I wasn’t sure if he expected me to actually take up his offer or not.

“Curious. A human travelling among dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard.” A gentle voice spoke from beside me and I turned my head, meeting the familiar eyes of the elf that had watched me fro the hunting party earlier. He smiled softly at my startled expression. “I am Earendil.”

“Anthea.” I nodded my head a little, standing now in front of him, a particular attribute I had learnt of elves by now was that they were a fair amount taller than any human, it was both comforting and unfamiliar to have someone taller than me on this quest. “I will admit, it’s an odd situation.” 

“Yes, it is.” He turned to the hall, his hair was black and cascaded down his shoulders and back, he wore what appeared to be a guards uniform. He began walking, so I matched his pace.

“I haven’t seen an elvish city before.”

“I know, it’s pretty evident by the look in your eyes.” He glanced to his side at me, chuckling softly and I bit my lip, nodding slowly. 

“It’s beautiful.” I admitted, gesturing to the balconies overlooking the valley. “Though I will say that I have this fear of your bridges and their lack of railings.”

This made Earendil laugh, he nudged his arm against mine and I subconsciously moved from his touch, it was colder than the dwarven touches and grabs I had grown used to, it wasn’t evil, just softer but somehow less friendly. I couldn’t decide. He noticed this and moved his arms from where they would bump against me. “There was talk among the guards, they say you’re on a quest. Where are you off to?” He raised a brow at me and I opened my mouth to respond, though paused.

“Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?!” 

“No one!”

“Who did you tell?!”

“Nobody! Perhaps you should ask the Merc!” 

With Thorin’s cold stare in the back of my mind, I cleared my throat and smiled a little toward Earendil. “Something like that. It’s not my business to tell.” I spoke colder than I intended too and it surprised me, though my smile, I seemed to have taken Earendil aback. 

“Yes… of course, a private quest.” He muttered and I felt instantly guilty for the poor elf, he was merely curious and I was sure he meant well.

But I couldn’t risk it after today.

We walked in silence for a while before footsteps approached and another guard come forth, he looked to Earendil and spoke in elvish tongue before nodding his head to me and walking onward, I frowned an the elf beside me turned his head in my direction. “It seems I must be taking my leave of you now Anthea.” He stopped walking, facing me, I looked up at him.

“Well you are… a guard, I’m sure you have duties that I am now distracting you from.” I smiled before widening my eyes as he gently reached foreword to grab my hand, it was dirty from my travels and I was almost embarrassed, though he didn’t utter a word as he pressed his lips to the back of my hand and nodded at me.

“It was lovely to meet you.” He whispered before abruptly turning on his heel and leaving me in the hallway.

“You…too…” I muttered, clearing my throat. The day had just gotten increasingly odder with every minute passing and this shed no normality on the day. I turned my head, a reflection catching my eye, though when I steadied on the face that stared back at me on the surface of a chalice on a nearby end table, I paused. The reflection, the green eyes that stared back at me, she was not someone I knew. I knew a woman who’s brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, her hair now tucked ungracefully down the back of her armour, where one would usually see her freckled features, dirt and grime now covered her skin.

She was unknown to me. 

When I rejoined the dwarves in which I had grown so accustomed to, they were stuffing their mouths will leaves of lettuce and attempting to roast kale over the fire, Bombur sitting on a broken stool and the rest of the dwarves singing happily. Though we were a few short. I slowly sunk down to sit beside Bofur near the fire, leaning over.

“Bilbo, Gandalf and Balin, where are they?” I asked, Bofur smirked and looked to me.

“Thorin is gone too.” He noted, fishing for my reaction, I shook my head and looked to the fire.

“I didn’t ask about Thorin.” 

“I know- I’m just poking fun.” He nudged me and I rolled my eyes, a slow smile coming to my lips, it had seemed that I had grown all too comfortable with the company, something I had not planned on when I agreed to join the quest just under two months ago.

It was a mere few hours and the dwarves, including myself, had managed to get comfortable enough to sleep, we had been offered beds and more, though I figured we had all grown accustomed to sleeping on the road, so outside was rather comforting. From what I gathered, I wasn’t the only one who had spent my life travelling. 

It was early morning when I was shaken awake, my instincts woke me furthur and I opened my eyes to find a nearby sword in my hand and pointing at a terrified little hobbit. “Bilbo.” I croaked, putting the sword down, it had been from Bofur who slept close by. As my eyes adjusted to the dim sunrise, I slowly sat up.

“Uh, we’re leaving.”

“Leaving?” I frowned, tiredly grabbing my bow and getting up, he stepped back to watch me with a small nod, it was then I noticed everyone getting up and ready, and Bilbo had his bag on his back. “Where is Gandalf?”

“He will meet us in the mountain pass-” He stammered as I grabbed everything, rolling up my blanket an pulling my cloak on. 

“He’s leaving us again.” I muttered before nodding. “Alright.” 

The company gathered their things and we were on the road again, I hadn’t been in Rivendell long enough to miss it as we left it’s gates, which I was grateful for, it was always harder to leave a place you liked. I walked beside Oin and we headed up the path further and further from the elvish boarders,Bilbo stopped walking and I followed his gaze back to the city. 

“He’ll be okay, Bilbo.” I reassured him and he nodded.

“I know-”

“You two, I suggest you keep up.” Thorin spoke in a voice that left no room for discussion and I sighed, petting Bilbo’s arm and continuing on.

We still had a long journey ahead of us.


	5. Chapter 5

The mountain pass was as cruel as it sounded. After taking our leave of Rivendell, I expected no less hardship than we had already faced over the past few weeks. My legs ached and I had callouses on my palms from the steel on the bow I now held as my own, I had been offered on many occasions gloves from Bofur, though on each occasion I had declined, I had never been one to wear them as the fabric felt unfamiliar to my usually bare hands. 

The rain poured down on the company relentlessly as we moved single file through the mountain pass, the path of rock and stone brutal in the rain. Jagged cliff faces cascaded the edge of the mountain pass, and too many a time I had found myself slipping from the path, too many a time had my heart almost thumped out of my chest as the nearest dwarf had grabbed me in an attempt to steady me. Thunder collectively boomed through the rain and I looked up to the almost black sky, my eyes lighting up with the strikes of white light through the storm, my eyelashes heavy with water and my skin covered in goose bumps from the icy bite of the wind. 

“Alright, hold on!” Thorin’s voice came from in front of me, it was quieter compared to the thunder though it held no less authority than it usually did. I looked to the soaked dwarves surrounding me, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my mouth from chattering. I stepped quickly but cautiously. There was a loud gasp, yells erupting from the company in front of me and my eyes went wide at the small hobbit far in front, dwarves holding him against the edge of the rock, I suspected that, much like I had, he slipped.

“We must find shelter!” Thorin yelled once more and through shaky breaths, the dwarves agreed almost in unison. 

A loud crack echoed through the downpour. Though it wasn’t thunder.

“LOOK OUT!” Dwalin’s deep voice followed the crack and with a fixed gaze and a thumping chest, I looked up, just as an arm pushed me back against the mountain side, a large shard of rock hitting the mountain above our heads, jagged debris flying in every direction.

“Hold on!”

There was another loud crack and the company stopped in their tracks, myself included, looking up as large shattered rocks catapulted into the mountains along the pass. “This is no thunderstorms! It’s a thunder-battle! Look!” Balin yelled through the rain.

Oh how I wished I hadn’t of looked. When my eyes fell upon the mountains and stone around us, I had gasped, every myth and legend I had heard about creatures of rock and earth had been true. 

“ Well bless me. The legends are true! Giants! Stone giants!” Bofur screamed out. The mountain that had occupied the land beside the cliff face had taken a stand, giants men of rock had rose from the earth, their harsh fists connecting with the giants around them. 

“Take cover, you fool!”Thorin yelled, glancing back harshly at the company. I pressed my back against the rock, my knees buckling beneath me as I struggled to keep my balance, my heart threatening to leap out of my chest.

“Move back!” I screamed, pushing my hand over the chest of Oin beside me, practically shoving him against the rock wall as a large boulder came tumbling down onto us, landing in the dark below with a monstrous crash. He closed his eyes but pressed himself beside me in fear, opening them shakily. I let go of the poor dwarf, painfully aware of my nails digging now harshly into the stone behind me in an attempt to steady myself, I could smell the blood dripping down my fingers, followed by the taste of it on my lip, my teeth biting into the flesh of my chapped lips.

The stone below my feet grumbled and moaned and I flicked my head up, through soaked hair, my eyes landed on the rest of the company, which had been slowly torn apart as the rock separated. 

We were on the legs of a stone giant.

“Kili! Grab my hand!” Fili screamed, putting his hand out to his brother, who had been gripping the stone like plaster as he, and the rest of the company, were pulled away on rock. I yelled out for them, my eyes meeting Bilbo’s terrified ones as he shuddered, barely keeping his footing on the path as he was ripped from us.

The rock which had taken them from us collided in the battle with the side of the mountain in a loud crack, my heart sunk in my chest and I widened my eyes. “NO!” I screamed, my voice cracking. Thorin raced when he could to the scene and we trailed quickly behind the young king.

When we turned the corner to a large ledge, I let out a relieved breath to see the dwarves picking themselves up from the commotion, all safe. “ We’re alright! We’re alive!” Balin yelled to us and I pushed onward to the ledge. Then I paused.

We were missing a hobbit. 

“Where’s Bilbo? Where’s the hobbit?” Bofur spoke lowly,concerned, voicing the question I had in my mind. Thorin appeared almost dismissive of it and I watched him, my mouth tasting of blood as I spat.

“Where is Bilbo?!” 

A loud gasp came from below us and I looked down to see the struggling fingertips of Bilbo hanging from the cliff side. Dwarves close enough dived for the terrified hobbit, only succeeding in nearly sending him to his death. I almost jumped foreword, but Thorin slid off the side first pushing Bilbo up to safety and almost killing himself in the process, though Dwalin pulled him up. 

I reached for Bilbo, feeling a sense of protectiveness over him. “Are you alright Bilbo?” I asked and he was about to respond, chattering mouth open as Dwalin spoke, unintentionally interrupting him.

“We thought we lost our burglar!”

There was a moment of silence, save for the storm hammering down onto us. Then a deep voice sounded and I looked up to a glaring dwarf king. “He’s been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us.” He spat as Dwalin moved closer to the rock, he followed behind him into the entrance of a small cave. 

My eyes drifted to Bilbo as the company moved to safety, I frowned. “You belong with us, I promise. Alright?” I assured him and he gave me a sad smile, clearing his throat and looking up at my towering frame through his wet curls. 

“Neither of us do.” He mumbled, turning to head inside the cave. I stopped in my tracks, last to enter as I swallowed the bile threatening my throat. 

Maybe he was right.

_______________________________

The company had settled in the cave for the night, reluctantly agreeing to Thorin’s plan of moving foreword from pass at first light, regardless of whether Gandalf had joined us or not. 

The cave floor consisted of cold stone and ash-like sand, uncomfortable at best but not the worst floor I had slept on in my short life. Rivendell and the nights that and followed had been practically sleepless, and tonight was almost no different. My eyes drifted shut a mere few times, though a loud crash, bang or Bombur’s snoring had forced them wide open again, I was well aware of my tired appearance by now.

“… you’re dwarves! You’re used to…to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!” Bilbo’s voice woke me slowly, though my eyes remained shut. “None of you do, not even Anthea, not Gandalf.”

There was a pause and Bilbo sighed. “I’m sorry-”

“No, you’re right. We don’t belong anywhere.” Bofur’s voice came in a low, solemn whisper and I frowned, my eyes fluttering open from the light rest. I glanced in the darkness to see Bofur standing near the entrance to the cave, Bilbo beside him. “I wish you all the luck in the world, I really do.”

I noticed the bag on Bilbo’s back and I slowly sat up, looking to the hobbit cautiously. My chest full of guilt, I hadn’t succeeded in making Bilbo feel part ofthe company, I could have easily blamed Thorin, but I felt responsible. 

“Bilbo-” I whispered, a soft wince leaving my lips as I moved to stand. “Please-”

“What’s that?” Bofur asked, glancing to Bilbo from me and my eyes followed the direction to see Bilbo’s elvish sword glowing a bright blue. I widened my eyes and turned my head as Thorin moved close beside me. 

“Wake up! Wake up!” He yelled at the sound of sand spilling, the noise was unfamiliar but I knew exactly what it meant.

“Get off the sa-” I began before the floor opened up and my words were replaced by a loud scream as we fell into the hole in which the floor had opened up to. My legs practically went over my head as I found my body sliding into Thorin’s, down a jagged slide of rock, I was half in my mind to grab him. I didn’t. I guess my body instinctively despised the dwarf as much as my mind did. 

The company was barrelling down the rocks until I felt my body fall from a ledge, into a makeshift catcher, I probably would have been injured from the fall. Though a loud groan from beneath me promised that i had been cushioned. A little. 

“Get… off… me…” Thorin’s strained voice spat and I became increasingly aware of the fact that I had landed - no. I had forcibly been catapulted onto him, his body beneath mine on the floor. It may have been an awkward position if I hadn’t felt grips on both my arms to pull me off.

Only this grip wasn’t that of a dwarf.

Low screeches and yells echoed through the cave we had been spat into and I widened my eyes at the goblins around me, dragging me with the others away from where we had been thrown. I thrashed against their capture and I could feel the dwarves around me doing the same, but it was useless against the army surrounding us. I winced at the death grip that a slimy goblin had on my arm, though I hadn’t dared shove him off any further as I doubt it would have worked in my favour. My eyes darted around at the lit up cave of thousands of goblins, makeshift bridges, buildings and cages.

It was a city.

A goblin city.

The screeching only increased as the company was forced deeper into the city, my eyes darting from place to place in any attempt to break free, but it seemed no use. My eyes followed the direction in which we were heading, and I wished I hadn’t looked. 

Sitting upon a large throne was the biggest goblin I had seen in my life time, he was fat and covered in warts, towering taller than any troll nor beast I had encountered, he had a sack of a chin hanging half-way down his chest and a pointy nose with a crusty sneer. A crown lay upon his sickly hair and he tumbled down from the throne over steps of goblin servants bowing before him. 

“Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?” He squealed much like a pig in question and I swallowed thickly, my hand instinctively reaching for the bow in which I had readily slept with, but Fili grabbed my hand slowly, shaking his head as if to tell me that it wasn’t a good idea. 

“Dwarves, your malevolence.” A goblin bowed his head to the fat king and he turned his beady eyes to us in study.

“Dwarves?!” His eyes met mine and I turned my gaze from him down to the hand that Fili still held. It was both comforting and in warning not to do anything rash. 

“Well don’t just stand there, search them! Every crack, every crevice!” The king shrieked and my hand was pulled from Fili’s as we were searched, I cringed as small goblin hands felt my armour, pulling the bow from my back and tossing it. “What are you doing in these parts? Speak!”

The company remained silent, and I kept my mouth shut, Fili’s silent warning in mind. The large goblin king turned his eyes over us before smirking and pointing around. “Very well, if they will not talk, we’ll make them squawk! Bring up the mangler, bring up the bone breaker! Start with the youngest of them.” His wiry finger pointed directly to Ori and I, before I could open my mouth to protest, I felt Thorin move past me to the front. 

“Wait!” He boomed, and at the intrusion,the king looked down at Thorin. A look of recognition crossed over his face and he leaned down with a sneer. 

“Well, well, well! Look who it is! Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, king under the mountain!” He mocked a bow in Thorin’s direction before chuckling evilly to himself. “Oh! But I’m forgetting you don’t have mountain, and you’re not a king. Which makes you nobody really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A pale orc astride a white warg.”

I could have sworn Thorin’s face turned paler than usual, he pointed to the goblin with a glare. “Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago.”

At the mention of the name, I recalled Balin’s story, of Thorin, of his Grandfather and I swallowed. Thorin’s statement was challenged with another sneer. “So you think his defiling days are done, do you?” The goblin king turned his head to a small goblin beside him, he appeared a messenger, or scribe. “Send word to the pale orc, tell him I have found his prize.”

I turned my head to Thorin, surprising myself by grabbing his shoulder, he flicked his head almost dismissively in my direction. “If the pale orc is really out-” I began in warning, suggesting the idea that it would be best to leave. Now.

He shoved my hand from his arm and gave me a cold look. “He’s not.” He spat, his eyes darting over me before he turned away to the king who watched us curiously. 

“Tension remains in your company Thorin…” He smirked, seemingly pushing the dwarf closer to snapping, and he looked as if he would at any point. I stepped back, my eyebrows knitting together as I looked for an exit, trying, despite Thorin’s cold dismiss, to figure out an escape. But every direction I looked I was met with black goblin eyes. “I wonder, a human?” The words brought me from my thoughts and I looked up to the approaching goblin king, his eyes on me.

“What of it?” I spat at him, ignoring the warning looks from those around me as I glowered at the king.

“You will die like a dwarf.” He sung venomously at me, pointing at those around me. “Those in the company of Thorin will perish!” He laughed coldly. He turned on his heel to climb ungracefully back upon his throne, shaking his hips and sitting with a huff, looking to us. He glanced around him before thumping his feet happily and starting to sing, his voice was high pitched and shrill. “Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung, and you’ll be beaten and battered, from racks you’ll be hung. You will die down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin town!” 

I looked from his singing to the goblins around us, they had picked through the pile of weapons that had been stolen from us and I flinched as a loud screech echoed through the city, there was silence before the shrill voice of the king came again, he pointed wildly at the elvish weapons and stepped as far from them as he could. “I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!” He screamed out before waving in our direction. “Slash them, beat them, peel them, kill them all! And him!” He pointed directly at Thorin. “CUT OFF HIS HEAD!”

On the same word, Thorin was pulled from the group, dwarves straggling to help him escape the grasp of the goblins. I ignored everything in my head telling me not to, I even ignored Fili’s previous warning and I turned to lunge for my bow, though stumbled as an explosion sounded. I heard Gandalf’s voice before I saw him. “Take up arms. Fight. Fight!” He boomed.

The cool steel of my bow landed into my grasp and I grabbed my arrows, pulling one from it’s hold and shooting the goblins closest to me that I could, managing to kick Kili’s arrows to him, he shot me a grateful nod and turned on my lead, knocking down the goblins he could while the company gathered. Gandalf wielded the elvish sword in his grip and turned to the goblin king as he screeched. “He wields the Foe-hammer, the beater, bright as daylight!” He started before choking as one of my arrows his his stomach, it hadn’t seemed to do much to the fat creature as he stumbled back, almost falling back into his throne. “Wind chaser, orc shooter! Elvish weapons!” 

Gandalf’s voice boomed over the king’s as I shot another arrow from the bowstring in his direction, hitting the side of his fat neck, he screeched and I looked to Gandalf. “Follow me. Quick! Run!” He yelled, waving his arm for the company to follow him as he sprinted off. I didn’t hesitate of course, but let the dwarves move in front of me as instinct now goes. We ran across bridges and rather thin paths, many times I had shoved the hands of a goblin from me, sending their bodies flying over the edges. The company separated into groups almost, I jumped over one of the railings, gripping it and dropping to a lower level of the path. 

I came face to face with a hoards of goblins, I shot arrows in their direction, taking a mere few down with me before barrelling into the group with a yell, my skin suffered the clawing of that situation and I knew I would have some nasty cuts later, but it seemed the least of my problems at that very moment. I jumped up, my calloused palms wrapping around a low hanging support of the path above that the company ran over, I swung my legs, my boots colliding harshly with the face of a goblin as I pushed my body back up to the higher level and rejoining the others. 

I ran behind Oin and Gloin at the back of the company, we raced toward a bridge, I could head the screeching of goblins chasing behind me and I fought every urge to look behind me. 

And I was glad I hadn’t. I came to an abrupt stop as my body bashed into Gloin, who had stopped with the company in front of me, stopped wide-eyed in front of the fat goblin king who had managed to put a stop in our path just as he stepped on to the bridge that would have made our escape. He looked over us and wavered his arms expectantly. “What are you going to do now, wizard?” He pointed to Gandalf in the lead and on the same note, Gandalf shoved his staff foreword into the now shrieking king’s eye before slashing his stomach open with his sword. “That’ll do it.” He choked, falling to the floor with a loud thump.

It turned out that the bridge hadn’t been as steady as we had hoped. 

With a low snap and a hissing screech, the bridge broke from it’s supports, sending us plunging into the abyss below. I yelled out, attempting to grab onto anything I could for support, but it was no use, we were falling too fast and from too high of a point. 

When we landed, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. I landed on my back beside Kili, I could feel sets of feet near mine and Ori was above me on the wood, I groaned and attempted to pull myself from under the debris of wood and dwarves. 

“Well that could have been worse!” Bofur exclaimed with a nervous laugh and well… then it got worse. There was a series of oof’s and ow’s as the goblin king’s dead body thumped down onto the pile of debris.

“Oh you’ve got to be joking!” Dwalin coughed and I pursed my lips in pain, managing to pull my legs from under the wood, but Kili nudged me from my side. 

“Gandalf!” He warned and I followed his gaze to the legions of goblins racing down the rocks toward us, my eyes widened and I grabbed Kili’s arm to pull him up, he spared me a quick thanks before I grabbed my bow. 

“We can’t possibly defend ourselves against them!” I yelled, frantically looking to Gandalf. “There’s thousands!” 

“You’re right-” Gandalf gave us an erratic look before speaking. “Only one thing will save us. Daylight! Come on!” He ordered and I nodded, leaning down to help Ori up and pull him along, Kili not far off beside me as I started pushing dwarves in front of me to get behind them.

I was out of breath, sweaty, my feet were hurting and I was covered in cuts and scrapes from both our fall and the goblins. But while it was in my mind, escaping the caves was my top priority. I pushed as many of the company before me as I could, Gandalf did the same, I heard him counting small as he went, though he was cut off by me yelling.

“Gandalf! They’re right on our heel!” I spat and he turned to me, wide eyed as Bombur sprinted past me, I saw Gandalf hesitate and I pointed harshly to the exit. “Go!” He seemed surprise at my order but ran anyway and I spun around, my bow aimed in the direction of the dark caves in which we had escaped from. I shot directly at a rock above, the small disruption to the already wobbly stone sent it tumbling down to somewhat block the path behind us, I flinched at the dark opening in the wall beside me, though ignored it and hurried to follow in Gandalf’s footsteps.

When I stepped out into the light, I felt almost the same as when I had stepped from the troll hoard, though this time I was profoundly more grateful to have escaped with my life as three trolls were no measure for an army of goblins. I spared myself a moment to let out a breath before I continued on after the company, a fair ways behind them at this point. 

I caught up to the exasperated dwarves, poor Bombur looked rather faint as he rested against a tree for support as Gandalf’s eyes moved to me, he then glanced around the group, taking head count. “…Five, six, seven, eight. Bifur, Bofur, that’s ten. Fili, Kili, Anthea, that’s thirteen. And Bombur, that makes fourteen.” Gandalf paused, his eyes wide, “Where’s Bilbo? Where is our hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!”

I had failed, in my attempt to get both myself and the rest of the company that I could, from the goblin city, to notice that we had lost Bilbo. I slumped my shoulders, looking back to the mountains in which we had run from. “We left Bilbo.” I breathed.

“Curse that Halfling! Now he’s lost! I thought he was with Dori!”

“Don’t blame me!”

As the dwarves argued, Gandalf looked to me, a dark concern across his features. “Where did we last see him?” He asked, but Bifur heard and responded before I could. 

“I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us.”

“What happened exactly? Tell me!” Gandalf boomed and I turned on my heel to head back up.

“I don’t know, but we can’t leave him.” I grabbed my bow, but Thorin’s hand stopped me, much to my surprise, he glared at me before inspecting Gandalf’s watchful eye. 

“I’ll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He’s thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again, he is long gone.” He spat, and I shoved him from me with furrowed brows. 

“If he did slip away, it was no wonder.” I scowled at the dwarf in front of me before leaning close. “You’ve had a stick up your ass and a hate for the poor hobbit ever since he got here, in case you haven’t noticed, king under the mountain, you don’t have a mountain and Bilbo is at least trying to help you get it back!” By the time I had finished speaking, I was more yelling in Thorin’s face,he was more than surprised at my outburst and I could feel the stares of the company.

“I’m actually here…” A familiar, quiet voice spoke from behind the trees and I looked up from Thorin’s face and my riled up stature, I was met with the kind but sad eyes of Bilbo. I let out a long breath and smiled at the hobbit. 

“Bilbo Baggins. I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life.” Gandalf let out a chuckle, seeming just as relieved as I was to have our hobbit back, as were the rest of the company,save for Thorin.

“Bilbo, we’d given you up!” Kili grinned and I looked to him and Fili, who spoke next. 

“How on earth did you get past the goblins?”

“How indeed?” Dwalin added, stepping closer. Bilbo glanced around at us all, playing with his pocket and swallowing. Though Gandalf spoke in his silence.

“Oh, what does it matter? He’s back.”

Thorin pushed from beside me, glowering at the hobbit in mistrust. “It matters. I want to know. Why did you come back?”

“Thorin-” I huffed lowly, but Bilbo shook his head and looked to Thorin and I. 

“It’s okay Anthea…” He smiled sadly before his eyes turned to Thorin. “Look, I know you doubt me. I know…I know you always have. And you’re right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my arm chair, and my garden. See, that’s where I belong. That’s home. And that’s why I came back, cause…you don’t have one. A home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can.” He breathed and there was a long, comfortable silence among us. I watched the way his face changed, it had been a bit over a month and I had already grown fond of him, it seemed he had grown fond of the company too.

The silence was cut short by a loud yell, growl and a screech that followed and I snapped my head up to see a pack of warg scouts.

And a large, pale orc riding a white warg.

I turned my head to Thorin, mouth agape and he seemed to sense my question, he nodded and swallowed thickly. “Out of the frying pan-”

“And into the fire- RUN, RUN!”


	6. Chapter 6

“Out of the frying pan-”

“And into the fire! Run, RUN!” Gandalf boomed and ushered the company foreword, I turned on my heel as the dwarves sprinted for the opposite direction of the orc pack, I aimed for the eyes of a warg, hitting it between the eyes and sending an orc flying to the floor, it screeched and I aimed again to it but Gandalf grabbed me. 

“Just run!” He ordered and I gripped my bow, turning to run after the dwarves, my heart beating in sync with every thump of my boot hitting the grass below. I ran beside the old man, the company, other than Kili, Thorin and the odd dwarf straying behind to help fight if it came to it. 

I could see a sunset over the trees in front of me as I ran, though the view was quickly replaced by dirt as I fell to the ground, an orc had jumped from his place on his warg, tackling me to the floor in a low howl.

“Anthea!” I heard Fili yell and I hadn’t the moment to look for him before I was rolling over to face the orc on top of me, I hadn’t carried a sword so the best I could do was my bare hands. I shoved it off me, pushing it to the ground and straddling it, my hands around it’s throat, his slimy skin slick beneath my palm, he struggled and I winced as he clawed at my arms. A loud snap broke through the air as I broke it’s neck, covered in my own blood as I grabbed my bow fro the floor and shot at the warg it had jumped off, a low yelp confirming my shot. 

If it hadn’t of been a life or death situation, I might possibly have fainted, my arms had been clawed and there was blood soaked over my clothing and skin, my hair even grew slick with it’s metallic shine. I pulled his own sword from the orc’s body and slashed at the orcish arrow that had come flying in my direction before dropping the weapon and sprinting to catch up to the others.

“Up into the trees. All of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!” Gandalf’s voice yelled across the trees at the company and it was then I noticed that we had indeed stepped straight into the fire. There was no further exit for us, only a cliff face a stretching valleys below, I widened my eyes, jumping up and grabbing onto a branch near the others, Thorin, Bofur and Oin above me, Dwalin to my side.

“They’re coming!” Thorin yelled and I turned my head, hanging from the branch and pointing an arrow to the orc pack as they slowed down, the pale orc sneering at us as if we were prey he was hunting.

Though we were.  
“Azog.” Thorin’s spoke again, though this was lower, it was almost fearful. I looked to the dwarf a moment before my eyes darted back to the intruding orc pack.   
Azog spoke in orc tongue, though Thorin’s name slipped from his lips as he rode his warg closer, ever so slowly. Thorin audibly gulped and he shook his head, voice cracking when he spoke. “It cannot be...”

Azog pointed his arm- well, he pointed the metal blade in which replaced the arm that was no longer there - at Thorin with a smirk, tilting his head. He repeated words over and over in his tongue and while I had no clue of what the orc was saying, the way that his pack ran at us in the trees was a sign that it hadn’t been a friendly hello. 

I pulled myself up higher to avoid the snarling mouth of the wargs and I kicked one from climbing the tree, or at least trying to. 

“Anthea!” I turned my head at the sound of my name from Fili’s lips and he tossed a pine cone at me, a pine cone that was on fire. I frowned a moment before seeing others tossing the flaming pine cones at the orcs, the grass catching the fire, but that was the least of our problems right now. I thrust the pine cone at the face of a warg, that whimpered and snarled at me in retaliation. 

In the midst of our attack on the pack, Thorin had jumped down from the tree, sword in hand as he walked toward Azog with determination. I widened my eyes when Bilbo jumped down too, Azog screeching orcish, an order I assumed, by the way he pointed to Thorin one of the pack raced toward the dwarf king. 

I was about to release my grip from the tree as Bilbo tackled the orc that had run at Thorin to the ground, it was not that I hadn’t the faith in Bilbo, but I wasn’t about to let him get hurt to save Thorin. Who had been knocked to the side in the process, his head smashing against the ground with a thump. Though just as I expressed my need to jump down, Dwalin, who had been beside me, grabbed my waist to stop me. “No lass!” He breathed. “You jump down there, you’ll get killed too!” 

“But if I don’t, Bilbo will!” I shoved his arm from me, jumping down, bow in hand as Bilbo struggled to fight off the pack, I shot an arrow in his defence, running in my attempt to help the poor hobbit. I lunged foreword, but before my body could collide with the warg I had been aiming for, something grabbed me, lifting me from the ground. Large talons wrapping around my body, I yelled out as I was pulled higher, large eagles collecting the dwarves in help. I gripped my bow, trying to release myself from the eagles grip, but it let me go regardless. A scream a lot more high-pitched than I was proud of left my lips as I came tumbling toward another eagle, landing on the soft feathers of it’s back beside Fili who had attempted to catch me, and failed. I gripped the feathers, my bow in one of my hands still. 

“Are you alright?”Fili breathed, turning his head to look over my blood covered body in concern, he was sitting in front of me and I nodded. 

“Fine-” I muttered, rotating myself to see the land behind us. The orc pack had stopped at the edge of the fiery cliff, Azog screeching at us in warning as we flew away on the eagles. A relieved sigh left my lips as I saw that everyone, including Thorin’s unconscious body, had been saved.

The air was cold, and I gripped the back of Fili’s coat as the eagles carried us, though Fili didn’t seem to mind my grip. I winced a little as the pain on my skin from the cuts in which I had ignored in the midst of the fight. 

We flew silently for a while before, one by one, the eagles placed the company on the top of a cliff in safety. As soon as my feet hit the ground I looked around and head counted. “Thirteen dwarves, our burglar, our wizard-” I let out a long breath and almost collapsed to the floor with both relief and the tiredness that my whole body felt. I managed to keep myself steady, heading foreword to the Gandalf as he landed.

“Thorin, Thorin!” He breathed, my gaze was then drawn to his unconscious body laying on the floor, I had done a head count though not exactly made sure that Thorin was alive. Gandalf crouched down, muttering under his breath an incantation and waving his hand slowly over Thorin’s face.

Thorin’s eyes flicked open and he coughed weakly, turning his head to look around. “The Halfling?” He asked, looking around for Bilbo. 

“It’s alright. Bilbo is here, he’s quite safe.” Gandalf assured him and Thorin looked as if he would combust with anger, he stormed to Bilbo who was by me, looking uncertain. 

“You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild, and you had no place amongst us.” He spat and Bilbo almost gave a whimper, he looked to the floor and Thorin shook his head, a slow smile coming to his lips as he stepped up and pulled Bilbo into a tight hug. “I have never been so wrong, in all my life.” He breathed.

My lips quirked and I smiled as I watched the two embrace, a sense of both pride and loss in my heart. Over the past month and a little, I had grown for the company far beyond the payment I was promised, I had felt the hardships and the happiness of the dwarves and I had made... friends. I slowly stepped back from the group, swallowing my thoughts and distancing myself as Thorin spoke again. 

“I’m sorry I doubted you.” He told Bilbo and for an unknown reason, that sent an awkward pain through my chest, I blamed it furthermore on the injuries but I knew it was something more. I felt my chest tighten and a certain loneliness creeped up on me. I was a member of the company, yes, but I would never be a part of the company, and that much was true,

“Anthea.” My name was spoke in an unfamiliar voice and I looked up to meet Thorin’s eyes, I was sure he looked at me with something other than mistrust and disappointment now. My actual name sounded foreign on his lips. “I’m sorry. I have been unfair to you, you-” He cleared his throat and bowed his head at me. “You have taken part in this quest as much as the rest of us... and I was wrong to treat you the way I did.”

A silence fell over us all and I let a smile come to my face, nodding slowly at Thorin, not saying a word for the words hadn’t needed to be said. When my eyes looked past the company to the sunset onward from us, they landed on single, solitary peak and I let out a deep breath, nodding in it’s direction. “The lonely mountain.” I whispered, and with realisation, the dwarves turned to it, including Bilbo. 

Gandalf come over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, and for once, I hadn’t shyed away at the soft contact. “Thank you.” I whispered to him and he rubbed my back softly.

“I know... I know-” He chuckled and we watched as the dwarves looked onward to the mountain. “ The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle-earth.” He spoke gently and Thorin grinned. 

“Our home.” 

A bird flying past chirped happily, flying in the direction of the mountain and Oin pointed at it. “A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain.”

“That, my dear Oin, is a thrush.” Gandalf chuckled and Thorin come to stand beside us, standing with both pride and warmth. 

“Well we’ll take it as a sign, a good omen.”

“You’re right.” Bilbo agreed, crossing his arms, he glanced back to me and smiled wide. “I do... believe the worst is behind us.”


End file.
